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Zinc oxide and metal fume fever
1230
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formulations including a combination of 5-chloro2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4isothiazolin-3-one. The man developed asthmatic symptoms 5 months after starting employment in the manufacturing plant, where air monitoring revealed low levels of isothiazolinone (0.01-0.3 rag/m3). Lung function improved greatly when he was removed from the workplace for 18 days, and deteriorated again after 3 days back at work. Two out of 20 other workers in the plant had previously had to change the nature of their work after developing asthma. No specific inhalation provocation tests were conducted (Bourke S.J. et aL, Thorax 1997, 52, 746).
Occupational asthma from ninhydrin Occupational asthma to ninhydrin developed in a 41-year-old woman working as a technician in a Finnish forensic laboratory. The dye, used to detect biological material, was handled only in a flow cabinet. She had previously experienced other ninhydrin-induced allergy problems (a chronic inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose) and her symptoms progressed to asthma during the following year, the diagnosis being confirmed by inhalation challenge (Fiiril~iP. et aL, European RespiratouJournal 1997, 10, 1918).
Zinc oxide and metal fume fever The adequacy of the 8-hour TLV of 5 mg/m 3 for zinc oxide fume in protecting workers against metal fume fever has been questioned by US investigat ors. When 12 healthy volunteers inhaled zinc oxide fume through a mask for 2 hours at 0, 2.5 and 5 mg/m 3 on separate days, all but two developed a mild fever between 6 and 12 hours after exposure to the fume, and all but one reported more symptoms (particularly fatigue, muscle ache and cough) after zinc oxide exposure at 5 mg/m 3 than after exposure to the control furnace gas (Fine J.M. et aL, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1997, 39, 722).
63 unexposed controls. The investigators proposed that the Romanian 6-hour permissible exposure limits be reduced from 1000 mg/m 3 to "less than 500 mg/m 3" for acetone (current ACGIH 8-hour TLV, 1780 mg/m 3, with an intended reduction to 1188 mg/m 3) and from 200 mg/m 3 to "less than 200 mg/m 3" for methyl ethyl ketone (US ACGIH 8-hour TWA, 590 mg/m 3) (Mitran E. et aL, EnvironmentalResearch 1997, 73, 181).
Kidney damage from epoxy resin exposure An office worker's illness (malaise,vomiting, high creatinine levels and kidney damage) was attributed to his prolonged exposure to a blended epoxy resin, SP Ampreg 20. In his spare time, over an 18-month period, he had been building his own aeroplane in a large, but enclosed, aircraft hangar. In addition to the epoxy resin, he was also exposed to the two hardeners, bisphenol A and 3-aminomethyl-3,5,5trimethylcyclohexylamine0Dittmer I.D. and Armitage A.J., Occupationaland Environmental Medicine 1997, 54, 766).
PCB exposure and skin cancer A study of nearly 140,000 US electricutility workers has suggested an associationbetween exposure to electricalinsulatingfluidscontaining polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and death from the skin cancer, malignant melanoma. Cumulative exposure to PCBs was estimated for those workers who had been employed for at least6 months between 1950 and 1986. Mortality from malignant melanoma increasedwith exposure to PCB insulatingfluids.When the last20 years of exposure were ignored (to allow for tumour latency) the adjusted relativerisksfor a cumulative exposure of over 10,000 hours (compared with no exposure) was 4.81 (95% CI 1.49-5.51).However, the investigatorsviewed theirresultswith caution because of the small numbers of men in the higher exposure groups (Loomis D. etaL, Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1997, 54, 720).
Are TLVs for acetone and methyl ethyl ketone too high?
PCB exposure and rat hormone levels
Neurotoxic symptoms were assessed among three Romanian workforces exposed to acetone, methyl ethyl ketone or cyclohexanone. In comparison with 86 unexposed controls, 71 workers exposed to acetone at 988-2114 mg/m 3 had a higher incidence of subjective symptoms (neurotoxic, irritant, rheumatic and digestive), and were shown to be significantly adversely affected in tests of nerve function. A similar, though less marked, effect was observed in 41 workers exposed to methyl ethyl ketone (at 149-342 mg/mO), when compared with
PCB 77 (3,Y,4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl)induced changes in thyroid hormone levels(decreasedserum thyroxine and increaseduridine diphosphateglucuronyl transferaseactivity),but not reproductive hormone levels,in ratsconsuming 1000 ppb (about 0.05 mg/kg body weight/day) in the diet for 90 days. N o effectswere reported at 100 ppb or in ratsgiven 50,000 ppb PCB 28 (2,4,4'-trichlorobiphenyl).The investigators concluded that PCBs exert congener specificeffects and that "thyroid functions may be more
Information Section
formulations including a combination of 5-chloro2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4isothiazolin-3-one. The man developed asthmatic symptoms 5 months after starting employment in the manufacturing plant, where air monitoring revealed low levels of isothiazolinone (0.01-0.3 rag/m3). Lung function improved greatly when he was removed from the workplace for 18 days, and deteriorated again after 3 days back at work. Two out of 20 other workers in the plant had previously had to change the nature of their work after developing asthma. No specific inhalation provocation tests were conducted (Bourke S.J. et aL, Thorax 1997, 52, 746).
Occupational asthma from ninhydrin Occupational asthma to ninhydrin developed in a 41-year-old woman working as a technician in a Finnish forensic laboratory. The dye, used to detect biological material, was handled only in a flow cabinet. She had previously experienced other ninhydrin-induced allergy problems (a chronic inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose) and her symptoms progressed to asthma during the following year, the diagnosis being confirmed by inhalation challenge (Fiiril~iP. et aL, European RespiratouJournal 1997, 10, 1918).
Zinc oxide and metal fume fever The adequacy of the 8-hour TLV of 5 mg/m 3 for zinc oxide fume in protecting workers against metal fume fever has been questioned by US investigat ors. When 12 healthy volunteers inhaled zinc oxide fume through a mask for 2 hours at 0, 2.5 and 5 mg/m 3 on separate days, all but two developed a mild fever between 6 and 12 hours after exposure to the fume, and all but one reported more symptoms (particularly fatigue, muscle ache and cough) after zinc oxide exposure at 5 mg/m 3 than after exposure to the control furnace gas (Fine J.M. et aL, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1997, 39, 722).
63 unexposed controls. The investigators proposed that the Romanian 6-hour permissible exposure limits be reduced from 1000 mg/m 3 to "less than 500 mg/m 3" for acetone (current ACGIH 8-hour TLV, 1780 mg/m 3, with an intended reduction to 1188 mg/m 3) and from 200 mg/m 3 to "less than 200 mg/m 3" for methyl ethyl ketone (US ACGIH 8-hour TWA, 590 mg/m 3) (Mitran E. et aL, EnvironmentalResearch 1997, 73, 181).
Kidney damage from epoxy resin exposure An office worker's illness (malaise,vomiting, high creatinine levels and kidney damage) was attributed to his prolonged exposure to a blended epoxy resin, SP Ampreg 20. In his spare time, over an 18-month period, he had been building his own aeroplane in a large, but enclosed, aircraft hangar. In addition to the epoxy resin, he was also exposed to the two hardeners, bisphenol A and 3-aminomethyl-3,5,5trimethylcyclohexylamine0Dittmer I.D. and Armitage A.J., Occupationaland Environmental Medicine 1997, 54, 766).
PCB exposure and skin cancer A study of nearly 140,000 US electricutility workers has suggested an associationbetween exposure to electricalinsulatingfluidscontaining polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and death from the skin cancer, malignant melanoma. Cumulative exposure to PCBs was estimated for those workers who had been employed for at least6 months between 1950 and 1986. Mortality from malignant melanoma increasedwith exposure to PCB insulatingfluids.When the last20 years of exposure were ignored (to allow for tumour latency) the adjusted relativerisksfor a cumulative exposure of over 10,000 hours (compared with no exposure) was 4.81 (95% CI 1.49-5.51).However, the investigatorsviewed theirresultswith caution because of the small numbers of men in the higher exposure groups (Loomis D. etaL, Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1997, 54, 720).
Are TLVs for acetone and methyl ethyl ketone too high?
PCB exposure and rat hormone levels
Neurotoxic symptoms were assessed among three Romanian workforces exposed to acetone, methyl ethyl ketone or cyclohexanone. In comparison with 86 unexposed controls, 71 workers exposed to acetone at 988-2114 mg/m 3 had a higher incidence of subjective symptoms (neurotoxic, irritant, rheumatic and digestive), and were shown to be significantly adversely affected in tests of nerve function. A similar, though less marked, effect was observed in 41 workers exposed to methyl ethyl ketone (at 149-342 mg/mO), when compared with
PCB 77 (3,Y,4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl)induced changes in thyroid hormone levels(decreasedserum thyroxine and increaseduridine diphosphateglucuronyl transferaseactivity),but not reproductive hormone levels,in ratsconsuming 1000 ppb (about 0.05 mg/kg body weight/day) in the diet for 90 days. N o effectswere reported at 100 ppb or in ratsgiven 50,000 ppb PCB 28 (2,4,4'-trichlorobiphenyl).The investigators concluded that PCBs exert congener specificeffects and that "thyroid functions may be more