Occupational asthma due to chromium and nickel salts

Background: Exposure to chromium and nickel salts is a poorly characterized cause of occupational asthma. Methods: We describe four patients with work-related asthma due to metallic salts. Skin–prick tests to potassium dichromate and nickel sulfate were performed. The patients underwent methacholine inhalation tests and specific inhalation challenges (SIC) with both chromium and nickel salts. Results: Two patients showed positive skin–prick tests to potassium dichromate and nickel sulfate. All patients had bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, which increased 24 h after SIC with metallic salts. SIC with potassium dichromate elicited late asthmatic reactions (LAR) in two workers, one subject had an early asthmatic reaction (EAR), and another subject showed a dual asthmatic reaction (DAR). SIC with nickel sulfate induced a DAR in one subject and a late asthmatic reaction in another. Conclusions: Chromium and nickel salts can give rise to occupational asthma in exposed workers. The underlying mechanism may be IgE-mediated in some cases.     

Exposure to soluble nickel in electrolytic nickel refining

Past and present exposure to nickel was studied in an electrolytic nickel refinery, where an increased incidence of nasal cancer had been reported, using nickel analyses in air, blood and urine. Genotoxic effects were studied using analysis of micronuclei from acridine orange-stained smears from the buccal mucosa of the workers. Workers used respirators or masks in tasks where the exposure was expected to be high. Inside the mask, nickel concentrations were 0.9–2.4 μg m⁻³ in such tasks. In those tasks where masks were not used, nickel concentrations in the breathing zone were 1.3–21μgm⁻³. Air-borne nickel concentrations (stationary sampling) varied between 230 and 800μg m⁻³ in 1966–1988 with no systematic change; thereafter lower concentrations (170–460μg m⁻³) have been observed. After-shift urinary concentrations of nickel were 0.1–2 μmoll⁻¹ they showed no correlation with nickel concentrations in the air. Concentrations of nickel in the urine were still elevated after a 2–4 week vacation. The frequency of micronucleated epithelial cells in the buccal mucosa of nickel refinery workers was not significantly elevated by comparison with referents. No relationship was observed between micronucleus frequencies and levels of nickel in air, urine or blood.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

镍电解工人体内镍与脂质过氧化关系的研究

目的 研究从事镍电解工人体内镍负荷与自由基代谢变化的关系.方法 以100名镍电解作业人员为接触组,以80名无镍接触的健康者作为对照组,分别测定两组人员血清中镍含量作为体内负荷;同时测定两组人员中血清中丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平,并将上述各项指标进行相关分析.结果 与对照组比较,镍作业组血清中MDA含量[(14.98±2.03)μmol/L]明显升高;SOD活力[(90.33±18.76)U/L]、GSH活力[(101.48±19.76)U/L]明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 镍具有增加体内脂质过氧化产物、降低机体抗氧化能力的作用.     

Occupational exposure to inhalable and total aerosol in the primary nickel production industry.

OBJECTIVES--This paper describes a study that was carried out in the primary nickel production industry to investigate the levels of personal exposure to aerosols containing nickel and the impact on exposure assessment of introducing new personal sampling techniques with performance consistent with the latest particle size-selective criteria. METHODS--Experiments were carried out at workplaces in mining, milling, smelting, and refining works to investigate the effect of changing from the current method of total aerosol (with the widely used 37 mm filter holder) to the new method of measuring inhalable aerosol (with the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) inhalable aerosol sampler). RESULTS--The results show that inhalable aerosol exposure concentrations--for both overall aerosol and for total nickel--were consistently and significantly higher than the corresponding total aerosol concentrations. Weighted least squares linear regression yielded IOM/37 mm factors ranging from about 1.2 to 4.0. The exposure data for each company process were found to be log-normally distributed. CONCLUSIONS--The results suggest the possibility of generating a single pragmatic factor for each company process for converting current total aerosol exposures to new exposures based on the inhalability concept contained in the latest particle size-selective criteria for aerosol exposure assessment. Such data may be important in determining new occupational exposure limits for nickel.     

Occupational exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane

Summary Sixty male workers in a lindane (y-hexachlorocyclohexane)-producing factory were examined with regard to health in comparison with an external control group of 20 clerks.Case history, physical examination, neurologic status, and ECG revealed no significant differences between groups. However, the following significant differences in clinical-chemical blood tests were ascertained: higher polymorphonuclear leukocyte count, lower lymphocyte count, higher reticulocyte count, lower prothrombin (Quick's) test, and lower blood concentrations of creatinine and uric acid. No significant differences were observed in total red and white blood cell as well as platelet counts, hemoglobin content, the other counts of differential blood picture, -GT, GOT, GPT, LDH, cholinesterase, triglycerides, cholesterol, and urea.In spite of a pronounced exposure to the -, -, and -isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane, no signs of severe impairment of health were observed; only small deviations in some laboratory tests were found having no pathologic significance. However, biological monitoring and health supervision of HCH-exposed workers should be carried out.     

Occupational exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane

Summary In a lindane (-hexachlorocyclohexane)-producing factory 54 male workers (mean age 40 years, mean duration of exposure 8 years) were studied with regard to their blood levels of testosterone, LH, and FSH. Twenty clerks of nearly the same age were examined for control purposes in the same way. Serum-LH concentrations of the exposed workers were significantly higher than in controls. Geometric mean values were 8.8 mIU/ml and 5.7 mIU/ml respectively. On the other hand, FSH levels were insignificantly higher. Concerning testosterone concentrations in serum, these were found to be slightly lower in the group of workers than in control persons but this difference could not be proved to be statistically significant.These results indicate certain perturbations in sex hormone regulation probably as a consequence of HCH-exposure. To judge the pathological significance of these alterations further investigation will be necessary.     

Occupational exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane

Summary Sixty male workers in a lindane (-hexachlorocyclohexane) producing factory were examined with regard to functions of nervous system in comparison with two external control groups having no contact with hazardous substances.Examinations of reflexes and sensibility revealed no pathological signs. Mean values of amplitude and frequency of forefinger tremor were found at about 20 m and 10 Hz respectively without significant differences between groups. Manual skill tested by means of a tracking task was nearly the same in HCH-workers and a control group of dairy workers. On the contrary, a control group of clerks showed significantly better results in the tracking test, a probable consequence of their occupational practice.In electromyography no pathologic patterns were observed. The maximal motor nerve conduction velocity of ulnar nerves showed nearly identical mean values of 59.5 m/s in HCH-workers and controls. Neuromuscular conduction as revealed by distal latencies was not impaired.Furthermore, electroencephalographic recordings taken in spot-checks of HCH-workers and controls did not show any specific pathological signs. Only small abnormalities in rhythm could be observed in some cases of workers as well as of control persons indicating no increased incidence in the HCH exposed group.In conclusion, even after years or decades of occupational HCH exposure, in this study no signs of neurological impairment or perturbation of neuromuscular function could be ascertained.     

Occupational exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane

Summary A sensitive and specific gas chromatographic method is described for the simultaneous determination of ten chlorinated phenols that appear in the urine of persons exposed to hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH). The phenolic compounds in the urinary samples are hydrolysed in an acidic medium and derivatised with acetic anhydride. This sample treatment permits routine application. The stationary phase (8% DC 200 on Chromosorb G AW-DMCS possesses a high separating capability for the acetic esters of the chlorophenols. The detection limits lie between 4.9 and 18.6 g/l and allow determinations even in the environmentally interesting concentration range. The recoveries determined using aqueous standards range between 87 and 119% and the relative standard deviations are between 4.4 and 10.1%.Technical assistance     

Occupational exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane

Summary In a lindane (-hexachlorocyclohexane =-benzenehexachloride)-producing factory 57 workers were studied with regard to their blood levels of the three hexachlorocyclohexane isomers:-, -, and-HCH. The TLV-TWA (MAK value 1979) for-HCH of 0.5 mg/m³ was not exceeded at any of the workplaces where HCH is synthesized and purified to lindane. Additionally, in some of the workers samples of s.c. adipose tissue were taken for determination of HCH-isomer content. An external group of 20 clerks was examined in the same way for control purposes.In contrast to the control persons, none of whom had HCH-concentrations in serum above the respective detection limits, the values determined in serum of the exposed workers were in the following ranges:-HCH: 10–273 g/l,-HCH: 17–760 g/l, and-HCH: 5-188 g/l. Of special interest is the observation of a significant increase of-HCH-concentration in serum with the time of employment in lindane production, indicating a pronounced accumulation of this substance in the human organism. Concentrations of this isomer in s.c. adipose tissues were about 300-fold higher than in serum. A significant correlation between both parameters could be established.The results of this study show that adherence to the TLV-TWA of-HCH is not sufficient for control of HCH-exposure. Furthermore, biological monitoring of exposed workers is necessary taking into account the three more important isomers-, -, and-HCH.     

Occupational exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane

Summary Metabolism of -Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) was studied examining 21 workers producing this insecticide. Using gas chromatography in combination with ECD and mass spectrometry 14 mono-, di-, tri- and tetrachlorophenols were identified in the urine samples of the workers. Seven dihydroxychlorobenzenes of still unknown configuration were detected by mass spectrometry. Ten of the more abundant metabolites, di-, tri- and tetrachlorophenols were determined quantitatively in all urine samples. 2,4,6-; 2,3,5- and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol turned out to be the main metabolites of -HCH. They were excreted in nearly equal quantities. On account of their potential liver toxicity, the determination of chlorophenols in urine should be part of a biological monitoring program of HCH-exposed persons.