Dioxins chloracne

Burton JE, Michalek JE, Rahe AJ. 1998. Serum dioxin, chloracne, and acne in veterans of Operation Ranch Hand. Arch Environ Health 53 199-204. 

CookRR. 1981. Dioxin, chloracne and soft-tissue sarcoma. Lancet 1 681-619. 

More than 20 outbreaks of dioxin chloracne, as well as its other health effects, have been reviewed (Taylor et al. 1977 Tindall 1985 Mukerjee 1998). Follow-up studies have shown persistence of chloracne in some cases. They also concluded that there is an increased risk of soft-tissue sarcoma in end-product use in Sweden, occupational exposure in the US and environmental exposure in Seveso, Italy. Although these conclusions are controversial, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has concluded that TCDD is a human carcinogen (Mukerjee 1998). Occupational exposures to TCDD in the herbicide and chemical plants was much greater than most other non-occu-pational exposures. Exposure would sometimes begin as a caustic chemical burn when the trichlorophenol reactors would over heat. These workers showed the earliest and most severe chloracne (Taylor 1979 Tindall 1985). 

Tests with animals have revealed that dioxin is one of the most toxic substances known Toward mice it IS about 2000 times more toxic than strychnine and about 150 000 times more toxic than sodium cyanide Fortunately however available evidence in dicates that humans are far more resistant to dioxin than are test animals and so far there have been no human fatalities directly attributable to dioxin The most prominent short term symptom seen so far has been a severe skin disorder known as chloracne Yet to be determined is the answer to the question of... 

When the steam was shut off and, 15 minutes later, the agitator was switched off, heat transferred from the hot wall above the liquid level to the top part of the liquid, which became hot enough for a runaway reaction to start. This resulted in a release of TCDD (dioxin), which killed a number of nearby animals, caused dermatitis (chloracne) in about 250 people, damaged vegetation near the site, and required the evacuation of about 600 people (Kletz 1994). 

Seveso, Italy, caused wide-spread pollution of the industrial site as well as its surroundings. Serious effects of dioxin were detected both in dontestic animals, such as cows and sheep, and in humans, the most serious early effects being a serious skin disease, chloracne, and alterations in the function of the immune system. Follow-up studies have demonstrated that this accident also increased the cancer risk in exposed individuals. ... 

Chemical Acne Many chemical compounds induce skin lesions that are similar to acne. Oils, tar, creosote, and several cosmetic products induce chemical acne. These compounds induce keratinization of the sebaceous glands of the skin, obstruction of the glands, and formation of acne. Chloracne is a specific skin lesion that is induced by chemical compounds that are structurally similar to 2,5,7,8-tet-rachloro dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Chloracne is slow to heal and difficult to... 

Dioxins are prominent members of the class of polychlorinated hydrocarbons that also includes diben-zofuran, biphenyls and others. Dioxins are highly toxic environmental contaminants. Like others small planar xenobiotics, some dioxins bind with high affinity to the arylhydrocarbon (Ah) receptor. Dioxins activate the receptor over a long time period, but are themselves poor substrates for the enzymes which are induced via the Ah-receptor. These properties of the dioxins and related xenobiotics may be important for the toxicity of these compounds. Dioxins like 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-p-dibenzodioxin can cause persistent dermatosis, like chloracne and may have other neurotoxic, immunotoxic and carcinogenic effects. 

Oevere toxicological responses have been associated with certain chloro- dibenzodioxins. One of these responses is chloracne, a folliculosis first associated with skin contamination by chlorohydrocarbons in 1899 (3). Serious outbreaks of chloracne-like lesions associated with runaway reactions in the production of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol occurred in Germany in the early 1950 s (5). 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol itself does not cause acne (S), but the contaminants which may be formed in the uncontrolled production of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol are extremely potent acnegens (5). 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and tri- and tetra-... 

Industrial workers involved in chlorinated aromatic production including chlorophenol suffered dioxin-induced chloracne 2,3). Chloracne and other serious health disturbances have been attributed to polychloro-dibenzo-p-dioxins in workers involved in manufacturing 2,4,5-T 4, 5). Dioxins are toxic to chick embryos, guinea pigs, rabbits, and monkeys 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). 

In addition to its extremely high oral toxicity, skin contact with substances containing 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin may allow toxicity in the form of chloracne, a condition characterized by eruptions of the skin on the face, neck, and back. Also, chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins have been associated with the chick edema factor, a disease of chicks associated with contaminated fats or oils used in the manufacture of their feed. 

Polychloro-benzenes, polybromo-benzenes, and dioxins (TCDD) are among these compounds. They were discovered when the analysis techniques improved. Especially the development of GC-MS has contributed to the knowledge of the distribution of these compounds. Effects on humans are the development of chloracne, suppression of the immune system, and some compounds are probably carcinogens (Shaw 1993). As a consequence of the ubiquitous nature of PCBs, humans are exposed via many sources. 

Dioxin is a poison of polytropic action, affecting actually all the organs and systems of the body. The most typical manifestations of dioxin poisoning are skin affections, such as chloracne. 

At high doses dioxin causes a serious form of acne (chloracne), which appears to be Yuschenko s problem. If the poisoner s intention was to kill him, then he failed to select the right chemical. There are many far more effective acute poisons, as we shall see in the next chapter. 

Toxicology. Chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs) cause chloracne, may cause hepato-toxicity, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, developmental toxicity, and central nervous system toxicity, and are considered to be a human carcinogen. 

Moses M, Prioleau PG Cutaneous histologic findings in chemical workers with and without chloracne with past exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. J Am Acad Dermatol 12 497, 1985... 

Chronic exposure is associated with an increased prevalence of conjunctivitis, chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, polyneuritis, and dermatitis. Chloracne has been reported and is probably the result of dioxin contaminants in commercial-grade pentachlorophenol. On the skin, solutions of pentachlorophenol as dilute as 1 % may cause irritation if contact is repeated or prolonged. 

Most, if not all, occupational illnesses associated with 2,4,5-T (such as chloracne) have been found to be the result of product contamination with TCDD. TCDD is extremely toxic to animals, and exposure has also been associated with liver function impairment, peripheral neuropathy, personality changes, porphyria cutanea, hypertrichosis, and hyperpigmentation in humans. TCDD is a chlorinated dioxin, one of a large number of related compounds referred to as dioxins it has no functional use and is not intentionally produced. It has been identified as the responsible toxic agent in several industrial disasters, such as accidental releases at Nitro, WV in 1949, and at Seveso, Italy in 1976. " The role of dioxin contaminants must also be considered in the discussion of 2,4,5-T toxicology. 

A plant manufacturing 2,4,5-trichlorophenol in Seveso, Italy exploded and liberated substantial amounts of TCDD (dioxin). Although it caused quite a scare and the town was evacuated, there were no known deaths and no increase in birth defects reported. Some chloracne (a skin disease) occurred and one liver cancer was diagnosed. 

The toxic effects associated with PCN exposures in humans and wildlife are, in general, characteristic of effects due to chlorinated hydrocarbons such as 2,3,7,8-TCDD. For instance, chloracne, vitamin A depletion, edema and liver damage have been observed in animals exposed to TCDD. The human toxicity and mechanistic relationship of PCNs to TCDD may be useful in understanding these classes of compounds. Particularly, acute and subacute exposures of humans and cattle to PCNs may provide important clues to the toxic effects at high levels for other dioxin-like compounds. 

A publication summarises all the then available technical evidence related to the Seveso accident, and recommends operational criteria to ensure safety in commercial processes to produce trichlorophenol [4]. All the plant scale incidents were characterised [1] by the subsequent occurrence of chloracne arising from the extremely toxic and dermatitic compound 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, formed during the thermal runaway reaction and dispersed in the ensuing explosion. It is also extremely resistant to normal chemical decontamination procedures, and after the 1968 explosion, further cases occurred after transient contact with plant which had been decontaminated and allowed to weather for 3 years, and which appeared free of dioxin [7,9]. The consequences at Seveso 447 cases of chemical burns (NaOH) and 179 of chloracne, only 34 with both [17],... 

Concern over dioxins originally arose over one particular dioxin, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). This was found to produce clinical effects (chloracne) in workers exposed to it through industrial accidents.35 It is also toxic to some species of laboratory animals. A few PCBs have been shown in experimental systems to exert a number of toxic responses similar to those observed for TCDD. In consequence, the total concentrations of both dioxins and PCBs in environmental media, including food, are now commonly determined as part of the same chemical analysis, and each cannot be discussed now without reference to the other. 

Perhaps the most catastrophic industrial accident involving dioxin occurred in S6veso, Italy in July, 1976. Here an entire community surrounding a trichlorophenol feedstock plant was contaminated 736 individuals were in the maximum exposure zone 4699 were in a less exposed zone, and 31.800 individuals were in the zone of least exposure. There were four spontaneous abortions and thirty voluntary interrupted pregnancies. The dose-related increase in chloracne occurred, but the spate of voluntary abortions obscured the teratogenicity data. 

Acne, characterized by skin eruptions commonly known as blackheads or whiteheads plus a variety of pustules, cysts, and pits on the skin surface, can be caused by exposure to chemicals. The most notable kind of chemically induced acne is chloracne, resulting from exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbons. Of these, the most notorious is dioxin, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) ... 

The results of a further examination of Operation Ranch Hand veterans was recently published (Burton et al. 1998). The cohort consisted of 930 exposed subjects and 1,200 comparison individuals who served in SEA during the same period but who were not involved with spraying herbicides. The authors examined the associations between serum dioxin levels and a) chloracne, b) occurrence of acne relative to the tour of duty in SEA, and c) anatomical location of acne after service in SEA. Initial dioxin levels were computed using a first-order pharmacokinetic model with a constant half-life of 8.7 years. Four exposure categories were defined 1) comparisons, with current dioxin levels of 10 ppt 2) background Operation Ranch Hand veterans, with current dioxin levels of 10 ppt 3) low category, with current dioxin levels exceeding 10... 

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