112. Occupational toxicology, chemical safety
- Occupational toxicology
- The maximum working time in occupational exposure to hazardous compounds is:
- 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, 240 shifts per year
- Measurement of toxicity – by LD50 (the dose which kills 50%)
- Toxicity according to timeframe
- Acute toxicity – within 24 hours
- Subacute toxicity – between 24 hours and 90 days
- Chronic toxicity – later than 90 days
- Elimination of organic toxic materials
- Phase 1 of biotransformation – oxidation
- By CYP450
- Phase 2 of biotransformation – conjugation with glucuronic acid, acetyl, etc.
- Phase 3 – excretion by kidney or liver
- Phase 1 of biotransformation – oxidation
- Elimination of heavy metals
- Phase 1 – expression of metallothionein genes
- These genes code for proteins which bind to the heavy metals
- Phase 2 – excretion or storage of the metal-protein complex
- Phase 1 – expression of metallothionein genes
- Pesticides
- Used in agriculture, wood preservation, pest control, over the counter, etc.
- Occupational exposure
- Pesticide synthesis workers
- Agricultural workers
- Pest control workers
- Absorbed through skin, respiratory tract, GI tract
- Persist for many months in the body
- Examples
- Organophosphates – Irreversibly inhibit acetylcholinesterase – cause cholinergic crisis
- N-methyl carbamates – reversible inhibit acetylcholinesterase
- DDT – a volatile organic compound (VOC)
- The maximum working time in occupational exposure to hazardous compounds is:
- Chemical safety
- The CAS registry
- A registry which contains every chemical substance known
- Contains information about the substances
- Currently contains more than 150 million
- Material safety data sheet
- Follows all dangerous chemicals
- Provides all relevant information, like possible hazards, how to handle safely, etc.
- European hazard symbols
- Used until 2015 – nowadays the Globally Harmonised System is used instead
- E – explosive
- F – highly flammable
- O – oxidizing
- T – toxic
- Xn – harmful
- Xi – irritating
- C – corrosive
- N – dangerous for the environment
- R phrases (risk phrases)
- Codes which correspond to specific risks
- R1 – explosive when dry
- R45 – may cause cancer
- etc.
- S phrases (safety phrases)
- Codes which correspond to specific safety rules
- S24 – avoid contact with skin
- Etc.
- The CAS registry