Lewisite inhalation toxicity

The inhalation toxicity of neutralents from the RRS red process treatment of HD, HN, and lewisite was tested in rats by 14-day exposures. The neutralent contained 53 percent chloroform, 30 percent t-butyl alcohol, trace amounts of DCDMH, and less than 1 ppm HN or HD, or 37 ppm lewisite. The toxicity of the waste stream was compared with that of an aerosol containing 58.3 percent chloroform, 39.1 percent tert-butanol, and 2.6 percent water (the vehicle control). Concentrations of 24,000 ppm of the vehicle control or neutralent killed all of the test animals. Lower doses caused excessive salivation, ocular and nasal discharge, lack of coordination, listlessness, difficult breathing, and corneal opacity. The inhalation effects of the nentralent on test animals were consistent with those of the t-butanol and chloroform components of the O/SS (Morgan et al., 1997). 

BAL British Anti-Lewisite. Dimercaprol, a treatment for toxic inhalations. 

Lewisite is a vesicant and toxic lung-irritant that is absorbed into tissues. If inhaled in high concentrations, it can be fatal in as little as 10 minutes the body is unable to detoxify itself from lewisite exposure. Routes of entry into the body include the eyes, skin absorption, and inhalation. Eye contact results in pain, inflammation, and blepharospasm (spasms of the muscles of the eyelid), which leads to closure of the eyelids, comeal scarring, and iritis (inflammation of the iris). If decontamination of the eyes occurs quickly after exposure, damage may be reversible however, permanent injury or blindness can occur within one minute of exposure. 

Acute Toxicity. Liquid lewisite applied by eye-dropper to the forearms of men caused blanching and discoloration of the skin followed by extensive erythema within 15-30 min and vesication within 12 hr (Wardell 1941 as cited in Goldman and Dacre 1989). The pain associated with these dermal exposures reportedly occurred within 2 min, and considerable discomfort persisted for about 1 wk. Other tests with human subjects and clinical reports also indicate a similar temporal sequence of events. Exposure to lewisite vapor (0.06-0.33 mg/ L) caused discoloration and blistering, with the maximum effect occurring by 36 8 hr after exposure (Wardell 1941). At a concentration of 0.01 mg/L, lewisite vapor caused inflammation of the eyes and swelling of the eyelids after 15 min of exposure, and inhalation of 0.5 mg/L for 5 min is considered to be potentially lethal. 

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