灵山县部分传统食品中掺加硼砂情况的调查

目的:了解本地传统食品中掺加禁用防腐剂硼砂的情况。方法:对辖区市场上的传统食品以购买形式进行随机采样;硼砂定性试验按国家标准GB/T5009.29-2003规定进行;硼砂定量测定按北欧食品分析委员会编号1-1950方法进行。结果:在10个品种的122份样品中,硼砂定性试验呈阳性反应的有72份,总阳性率为59.0%;对呈阳性反应的鲜湿米切粉、粳米水糕、槐花糕、槐花凉粉、干榨米粉、凉粽、肉丸类、面条类及冬瓜蓉馅月饼样品进行定量测定,其结果平均值分别为4.04、11.7、6.37、8.48、2.98、1.47、14.5、3.00、0.79 g/kg。结论:本地传统食品中掺加硼砂情况严重,应引起人们的关注。     

The use of sodium sulfide to separate mercury from tissues preserved in cialit and merthiolate solutions

Summary The purpose of the present experiment was to look at the dissolution time in physiological sodium chloride (0.9% NaCl) and sodium sulfide (Na₂S) of any mercury (Hg) contained in human auditory ossicles and cartilage after preservation in Cialit and Merthiolate. Both homograft tissues produced almost identical graph complexes. Under static conditions 10 g Hg could be found in NaCl after 15 min, whereas there was complete demercurization after 3 min in Na₂S. The dissolution time in NaCl subjected to constant stirring was about 10 min and was less than 1min in Na₂S. For the rapid elimination of Hg from auditory ossicles stored in preservatives containing Hg, our studies show that the use of a flowing solvent is advisable. Further, the extraction of Hg is quicker in sodium sulfide than in an isotonic solution of sodium chloride.     

Contact sensitivity to preservatives in Turkey

This study was designed to evaluate the frequency of contact sensitivity to 14 common preservatives among patients with contact dermatitis in Turkey. From 2000 to 2004, 308 patients with the diagnosis of contact dermatitis were patch tested in the Department of Dermatology, Ankara University School of Medicine. All patients were patch tested with European standard series. In addition to the four preservatives included in the standard series, patients were also tested with DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, bromonitropropane diol, diazolidinyl urea, thimerosal, propylene glycol, chlorocresol, chloroxylenol, methyldibromoglutaronitrile/phenoxyethanol (MDBGN/PE) and benzalkonium chloride. Out of the 308 patients suspected of having contact dermatitis, 23 patients were found to have positive reactions to one or more preservatives. Preservatives that were the most frequent cause of positive reactions were thimerosal (1.6%), benzalkonium chloride (1.6%), formaldehyde (1.3%) and MDBGN/PE (0.9%). In our study, 65% of the positive reactions were caused by allergens not present in the standard series, such as thimerosal, benzalkonium chloride and MDBGN/PE. Although thimerosal caused a high rate of contact sensitivity, it may not be considered as an important allergen, because clinical relevance could not be found in any of the patients.     

Formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers: How much avoidance of cross‐reacting agents is required?

We investigated whether or not individuals who are allergic to formaldehyde and various formaldehyde-releasing preservatives must avoid exposure to another closely related formaldehyde-releasing allergen to which they were patch test negative. We found that in over 86% of cases a broad restriction of all formaldehyde-releasing preservatives was not required if the patch test was negative. Usually the patch test is predictive of which materials need to be totally avoided. Restriction of exposure to all of the formaldehyde-releasing preservatives may be overly restrictive.     

Hypersensitivity to preservatives

Preservatives are biocidal chemicals added to cosmetics, topical medicaments, consumer goods, foods, and industrial products to protect them against microbial spoilage and to protect the consumer against infection. The ideal preservative, both effective and devoid of irritant or sensitizing potential, is still to be discovered. The present paper reviews the most important classes of preservatives, namely parabens, formaldehyde-releasers, and isothiazolinones. The author also discusses newer agents such as Euxyl K 400 and isopropynyl butylcarbamate. Each preservative is described in terms of chemical and physical characteristics, antimicrobial efficacy, exposure, cutaneous adverse reactions, patch testing concentrations, patterns of cross-reactions, and reported rates of sensitization. The history of preservatives goes back to the 1930s, and ironically, the parabens, which the industry has sought to replace with "safer" alternatives, are still the most frequently used biocides in cosmetics and appear to be far less sensitizing than most of the newer agents.     

Control of chemical risks during the treatment of soil contaminated with chlorophenol, creosote and copper-chrome-arsenic-wood preservatives

BACKGROUND: Exposure to chemicals in polluted soil was studied during the remediation of four polluted sites. They are sawmill areas contaminated with chlorophenols and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furanes (PCDD/F), wood impregnating plants contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from creosote oil, old gas works area contaminated with PAH, and a wood impregnation plant contaminated with copper-chromium-arsenic (CCA) preservative. METHODS: The exposure levels were determined by both air and biological monitoring. RESULTS: Air monitoring showed that the exposure levels were generally well below the current occupational exposure limits. The calculations indicated, however, that the lowest acceptable daily intake value recommended for PCDD/F by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was exceeded. Chlorophenol exposure was generally low. Exposure to volatile PAH was 0.038-0.884 mg/m(3) and that to particulate PAH was 0.004-0.183 mg/m(3). The biomonitoring results (urinary 1-pyrenol) suggested that some exposure occurs, probably through the contamination of hands or skin absorption. At the sites contaminated with CCA salts, no exposure limits were exceeded. CONCLUSIONS: The results generally suggest that the exposure of cleanup workers is generally below the current occupational exposure limits but that short-term high exposure cannot be excluded. There was also some indication of poor skin protection, which should be improved when soil contaminated with PAH and creosote oil is handled.