From toxicants

The third of the major hazards and the one with the greatest disaster potential is the release of toxic chemicals. The hazard posed by toxic release depends not only on the chemical species but also on the conditions of exposure. The high disaster potential from toxic release arises in situations where large numbers of people are briefly exposed to high concentrations of toxic material, i.e., acute exposure. However, the long-term health risks associated with prolonged exposure at low concentrations, i.e., chronic exposure, also present serious hazards. 

Eor toxic materials, it usually is advisable to provide ventilated sampling hoods or breathing-air stations and masks, to assure that the sampler is adequately protected from toxic or flammable vapors and dusts. Special provision for access to and exit from sampling points also may be needed at elevated locations and to avoid tripping or bumping ha2ards and to ensure that the sampler does not transverse areas not intended as walkways, eg, tank covers or roofs. 

The penicillins in general, ate renowned for their lack of toxicity. The most common adverse effect of the use of penicillins is an allergic reaction which can change from a mild rash to fatal anaphylactic shock in rate cases. AH penicillins cross the placenta and ate excreted in maternal milk. However, the relative freedom from toxicity tenders these compounds valuable agents during pregnancy and lactation. 

Other Lethal Agents. There are a number of substances, many found in nature, which are known to be more toxic than nerve agents (6). None has been weaponized. Examples of these toxic natural products include shellfish poison, isolated from toxic clams puffer fish poison, isolated from the viscera of the puffer fish the active principle of curare "heart poisons" of the digitaUs type the active principle of the sea cucumber active principles of snake venom and the protein ricin, obtained from castor beans (See Castor oil). 

Despite EPA s urging and guidance, state response was disappointing. A few states adopted large numbers of numeric toxic pohutant criteria, primarily for the protection of aquatic life. Most other states adopted few or no water-quality criteria for priority toxic pohutants. Some rehed on free from toxicity criteria and so-called acLion levels for toxic pollutants or occasionally calculated site-specific criteria. Few states addressed the protection of human health by adopting numeric human health criteria. 

In vitro cytotoxicity assays using isolated cells have been applied intermittently to cyanobacterial toxicity testing over several years." Cells investigated for suitability in cyanobacterial toxin assays include primary liver cells (hepatocytes) isolated from rodents and fish, established permanent mammalian cell lines, including hepatocytes, fibroblasts and cancerous cells, and erythrocytes. Earlier work suggested that extracts from toxic cyanobacteria disrupted cells of established lines and erythrocytes," but studies with purified microcystins revealed no alterations in structure or ion transport in fibroblasts or erythrocytes,... 

Table 16.18 Potential hazards from toxic waste deposition...

In addition to SCREENS, you can also download TSCREEN, VISCREEN, and CTSCREEN. TSCREEN is a screening model for determining maximum short-term impact from toxic releases. Click the filename to download the file. 

Guidance to Protect POTW Workers from Toxic and Reactive Gases and Vapors, June 1992 812/B-92-001 NSCEP 812/B-92-001 ERIC W115 NTIS PB92-173236. 

There is a risk of environmental hazard from toxic, flammable or volatile cakes specially secured discharge mechanisms may be incorporated. 

O There are several unit operations upstream and downstream filtration, such as reaction and thermal drying, are required by the process flow-scheme O There is a risk of environmental hazard from toxic, flammable or volatile cakes... 

Halothane remams the leading anesthetic m many parts of the world However, It IS beheved to cause a fuhmnant hepatitis in rare, susceptible mdividuals, especially after repeated use within short intervals It was believed, but now disputed, that this hepatitis resulted from toxic metabohtes [2] (Actually, the major metabolite is tnfluoroacebc acid, which as a salt in body fluids, is benign ) As rare as the hepatitis cases were (1 m 20 000), they frequently resulted m malpractice suits, especially in the United States This problem led to a search for more ideal nonflammable anesthetics that are also metabohzed to a lesser extent [i]... 

Potassium Competitive Acid Blockers The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a promiscuous nuclear receptor, that has evolved to protect the body from toxic chemicals. It is activated by a wide variety of xenobiotics including several diugs like rifampicin, hyperforin ( the active ingredient of St. John s wort), clotrimazole and others. PXR heterodimerizes with the... 

Strategies for reducing the risk from toxic chemicals depend upon its nature (i.e. toxic, corrosive, dermatitic) and extent. A combination of the following measures may be appropriate. 

Entry into confined spaces where there is likely to be a danger from toxic or flammable gases, or oxygen deficiency or enrichment (Table 11.12). Such work requires well rehearsed procedures regulated by a permit. Figure 11.3 identifies the procedures for entry into confined spaces and Table 11.13 lists associated safety requirements with a specimen permit (Figure 11.4). 

Table 13.16 sets out the major waste disposal methods, and potential hazards from toxic waste deposition are indicated in Table 13.17. The range of precautions required at land tips depends upon the risk, e.g. the nature and degree of contamination and the work to be undertaken. It will, however, encompass personal protective equipment a high standard of personal hygiene enclosure, possibly pressurization, and regular cleaning of vehicle cabs vehicle washing facilities site security, and control of designated dirty areas. Air monitoring and medical surveillance may be required.

Poisoning from toxic combustion products. In chemical fires, particularly those involving mixtures, an extremely complex mixture of gases and particulates, e.g. smoke may be produced. The composition depends upon the initial compounds involved, the temperatures attained and the oxygen supply, and is hence often unpredictable. Some gaseous compounds may derive from thermal breakdown, i.e. pyrolysis, of the chemicals rather than oxidation as illustrated in Tables 3.9 and 3.10. 

In the biocatalytic system, a second organic phase consisting of bis(2-ethyUiexyl)phthalate and containing the substrate is added at a phase ratio of 1 1. This procedure enables in situ product extraction and protects the microbial cells from toxic effects of the substrate and... 

In the case of surface water, the LOQ must not exceed a concentration which has an impact on nontarget organisms deemed to be unacceptable according to the requirements of Annex VI. At present, no harmonized limits for surface water exist. Therefore, provisions in Annex VI of Directive 91/414/EEC will be used to calculate guidance limits for analytical methods for surface water. In SANCO/825/00 the limits given in Table 6 are established [the relevant concentrations (the lowest will always be taken into consideration) depend on the species as indicated and can be taken from toxicity tests]. 

Acute tubular necrosis A form of acute renal failure that results from toxic or ischemic (insufficient oxygen) injury to the cells in the proximal tubule of the kidney. 

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