PMID- 8758039
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19961009
LR  - 20190503
IS  - 1351-0711 (Print)
IS  - 1470-7926 (Electronic)
IS  - 1351-0711 (Linking)
VI  - 53
IP  - 6
DP  - 1996 Jun
TI  - A cross sectional study of chemical industry workers with occupational exposure 
      to persulphates.
PG  - 422-6
AB  - OBJECTIVES: Hair bleaches containing persulphates have been identified as the 
      cause of occupational asthma in hairdressers. Also employees in persulphate 
      production with occupational asthma have been described. It was the aim of this 
      study to give an estimate of the prevalence of asthma due to persulphates in 
      chemical workers with exposure to ammonium and sodium persulphate. METHODS: A 
      cross sectional study was performed in 32 of 33 employees of a persulphate 
      producing chemical plant. Eighteen of 23 workmen from the same plant with no 
      exposure to persulphates were taken as controls. Also, information was collected 
      from medical records of the seven subjects who had left the persulphate 
      production for medical reasons since 1971. Data were recalled by a questionnaire, 
      skin prick tests were performed with five environmental allergens, and ammonium 
      and sodium persulphate (80 mg/ml). Specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) to the same 
      environmental allergens as in the skin test, and total IgE were measured. Lung 
      function and bronchial responsiveness to histamine were assessed by standard 
      procedures. Workplace concentrations of ammonium and sodium persulphate were 
      estimated by area and personal monitoring. The amount of persulphate was analysed 
      as sulphur by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. RESULTS: Work 
      related rhinitis was reported by one subject with exposure to persulphates, 
      conjunctivitis and bronchitis were reportedly related to work by two controls. 
      There were no cutaneous reactions to persulphates in either group. Four 
      non-atopic subjects exposed to persulphates, and two controls, one atopic and one 
      non-atopic, were considered to be hyperresponsive to histamine. Three subjects 
      exposed to persulphates with bronchial hyperresponsiveness (provocation dose of 
      histamine causing a 15% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (PD15 
      FEV1) < or = 1 mg) did not show variability in peak expiratory flow of > or = 
      20%, the rest refused peak flow measurements. None of the variables showed 
      significant differences between the groups (P > 0.05). Six of the exworkers left 
      because of work related contact dermatitis. Mean values for workplace 
      concentrations of ammonium and sodium persulphate within the bagging plant were 
      below 1 mg/m3, and the maximal concentrations were 1.4 mg/m3 and 3.6 mg/m3, 
      respectively. CONCLUSION: Exposure to workplace concentrations of ammonium and 
      sodium persulphate of about 1 mg/m3 in this chemical plant was not associated 
      with a risk of occupational asthma.
FAU - Merget, R
AU  - Merget R
AD  - Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Bergmannsheil, Germany.
FAU - Buenemann, A
AU  - Buenemann A
FAU - Kulzer, R
AU  - Kulzer R
FAU - Rueckmann, A
AU  - Rueckmann A
FAU - Breitstadt, R
AU  - Breitstadt R
FAU - Kniffka, A
AU  - Kniffka A
FAU - Kratisch, H
AU  - Kratisch H
FAU - Vormberg, R
AU  - Vormberg R
FAU - Schultze-Werninghaus, G
AU  - Schultze-Werninghaus G
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - England
TA  - Occup Environ Med
JT  - Occupational and environmental medicine
JID - 9422759
RN  - 0 (Allergens)
RN  - 0 (Peroxides)
RN  - 0 (Sulfuric Acids)
RN  - 22QF6L357F (ammonium peroxydisulfate)
RN  - 28831-12-1 (monoperoxysulfate)
RN  - SU46BAM238 (Ammonium Sulfate)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Allergens/immunology
MH  - Ammonium Sulfate/*adverse effects
MH  - Asthma/*chemically induced
MH  - Bronchial Hyperreactivity/chemically induced
MH  - *Chemical Industry
MH  - Cross-Sectional Studies
MH  - Female
MH  - Forced Expiratory Volume/drug effects
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Maximal Expiratory Flow Rate/drug effects
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Occupational Diseases/*chemically induced
MH  - Occupational Exposure/adverse effects
MH  - Peroxides/*adverse effects
MH  - Skin Tests
MH  - Sulfuric Acids/*adverse effects
PMC - PMC1128500
EDAT- 1996/06/01 00:00
MHDA- 1996/06/01 00:01
PMCR- 1996/06/01
CRDT- 1996/06/01 00:00
PHST- 1996/06/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1996/06/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1996/06/01 00:00 [entrez]
PHST- 1996/06/01 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.1136/oem.53.6.422 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Occup Environ Med. 1996 Jun;53(6):422-6. doi: 10.1136/oem.53.6.422.