Asthma And Chemical Mixtures

Asthma is a chronic inflammation disorder of the airways that make the bronchial tubes swell and narrow, producing wheezing, chest tightness, breathlessness, and coughing symptoms. Airway narrowing in asthma is caused by inflammation, bronchospasm, and bronchial hyperactivity. Asthma does not affect the alveoli and is reversible spontaneously and by drug treatment. Asthma is fully reversible and thus is different from COPD and emphysema, which are accompanied by destruction of alveolar walls and are irreversible. 

Asthma can be induced by chemicals that are ingested or dermally applied as well as inhaled chemicals. Sulfites in wine, salads, other foods, and some medications are known to induce asthma when ingested, I41-43  

OA can be induced by single sensitizing chemicals as well as by single irritant chemicals. Sensitizers, all of which are hydrophiles, are listed in Table 17.4. Irritants that induce occupational asthma are almost exclusively hydrophilic. Table 17.5 contains a partial list of these 46-50 anc[ their Kqw values. 

Chemical mixtures that induce OA are almost exclusively combinations of hydrophiles and lipophiles. Table 17.6 contains a partial list of these mixtures. 46-52 Though the precise compositions of all of these chemicals are not given in the references cited, it is possible to extrapolate from the nature of the materials that they contain both hydrophiles and lipophiles. 

Burnt chlorofluorocarbons Burnt paint fumes Carpet emissions Cigarette smoke Cleaning products Diesel fumes Epoxies Mixed solvents Paint fumes Pesticide sprays 

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