Chelating agents toxicity

Laundry washing consumes and releases large amounts of chemicals into wastewater. Laundry products used in the household include detergents, bleaches, builders, and metal chelating agents. Toxic chemicals contained in these include surfactants, chlorine, organic peroxides, phosphates, alkalis, and glycol ethers [35]. 

Full Fanconi syndrome has been reported to be present in some children with lead encephalopathy (Chisolm 1968 Chisolm et al. 1955). According to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS 1972), the Fanconi syndrome is estimated to occur in approximately one out of three children with encephalopathy and PbB levels of approximately 150 pg/dL. Aminoaciduria occurs at PbB levels >80 pg/dL in children with acute symptomatic lead poisoning (Chisolm 1962). The aminoaciduria and symptoms of lead toxicity disappeared after treatment with chelating agents (Chisolm 1962). 

Laughlin NK University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wl Validate the efficacy of chelation agents such as succimer (dimercaptosuccinic acid, DMSA) not only to reduce body lead stores in young children but also to alleviate neurobehavioral and target organ toxicity (Rhesus monkey) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences... 

BAL is the standard treatment for poisoning by arsenic compounds and will alleviate some effects from exposure to arsenic vesicants. It may also decrease the severity of skin and eye lesions if applied topically within minutes after decontamination is complete (i.e., within 2-5 minutes postexposure). Additional chelating agents for the treatment of systemic arsenic toxicity include meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and 2,3-dimercapto-l-propanesulfonic acid (DMPS). 

Arsenic uptake in rabbit intestine is inhibited by phosphate, casein, and various metal-chelating agents (USEPA 1980). Mice and rabbits are significantly protected against sodium arsenite intoxication by (V-(2,3-dimercaptopropyl)phthalamidic acid (Stine et al. 1984). Conversely, the toxic effects of arsenite are potentiated by excess dithiols, cadmium, and lead, as evidenced by reduced food efficiency and disrupted blood chemistry in rodents (Pershagen and Vahter 1979). 

Cholestyramine, a chelating agent, binds chlordecone present in the gastrointestinal tract and limits its enterohepatic recirculation (Boylan et al. 1978 Cohn et al. 1978). This interaction leads to increased excretion of the chlordecone and decreased toxicity. Thus, persons being treated with cholestyramine to lower plasma cholesterol may experience increased excretion of chlordecone and decreased toxicity. The use of cholestyramine as a therapeutic agent in cases of chlordecone poisoning is discussed more fully in Section 2.8.2, Reducing Body Burden. 

---