Liver solvent damage

Chronic effects arise from the cumulative dose of a chemical which has resulted frcm integrated exposures over months or years. The best examples of airborne chemicals which produce only chronic effects are the fibrogenic dusts. However, most systemic poisons also produce chronic effects although some produce acute effects as well if inhaled in sufficient quantities during short intervals. For example, many halogenated solvents damage the kidney or the liver after long-term inhalation of moderate air concentrations but produce anesthesia or narcosis... 

The toxicity of chloronaphthalenes requires that special attention and caution be used during their manufacture and use acne is the most common result of excessive skin exposure to them and the most frequendy affected areas are the face and neck (16). Liver damage has occurred in workers who have been exposed repeatedly to vapors, particulady to those of penta- and hexachloronaphthalene [1335-87-1] (17,18). Uses for the chlorinated naphthalenes include solvents, gauge and instmment duids, capacitor impregnants, components in electric insulating compounds, and electroplating stop-off compounds. 

Ingestion or inhalation of high levels caused severe liver damage, acute renal failure, hemolytic anemia, and disseminated intravascular coagulation in three reported cases. Symptoms from inhalation included anorexia, abdominal pain, vomiting, ecchymoses, and hematuria. In all cases, more than 24 hours elapsed between exposure and onset of symptoms. Because 80-90% of propylene dichloride and its metabolites are eliminated within 24 hours, analysis of blood, urine, and feces for solvent is useless once symptoms appear. ... 

Solvents Liver and kidney damage Provide adolescents... 

The chemistry of the quinoline heterocycle has already been discussed in Chapter 4. Any alkaloid that possesses a quinoline, i.e. 1-azanaphthalene, 1-benzazine, or benzo[b]pyridine, skeleton is known as a quinoline alkaloid, e.g. quinine. Quinoline itself is a colourless hygroscopic liquid with strong odour, and slightly soluble in water, but readily miscible with organic solvents. Quinoline is toxic. Short term exposure to the vapour of quinoline causes irritation of the nose, eyes, and throat, dizziness and nausea. It may also cause liver damage. 

Carbon tetrachloride is a hepato toxic solvent, which causes centrilobular necrosis and fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, and tumors and kidney damage after chronic exposure. It is metabolized... 

TA medical therapy based on competition at the active site is used to treat patients who have ingested methanol, a solvent found in gas-line antifreeze. The liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase converts methanol to formaldehyde, which is damaging to many tissues. Blindness is a common result of methanol ingestion, because... 

The SGOT and SGPT tests are also important in occupational medicine, to determine whether people exposed to carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, or other industrial solvents have suffered liver damage. Liver degeneration caused by these solvents is accompanied by leakage of various enzymes from injured hepato-cytes into the blood. Aminotransferases are most useful in the monitoring of people exposed to these chemicals, because these enzyme activities are high in liver and can be detected in very small amounts. 

This toxic synthetic solvent and grease cutter can irritate mucous membranes and cause liver and kidney damage. Butyl cellosolve is also a neurotoxin that can depress the nervous system and cause a variety of associated problems. 

Dimethylnitrosamine is an N-nitroso compound, all of which contain the N-N=0 functional group. It was once widely used as an industrial solvent, but was observed to cause liver damage and jaundice in exposed workers. Subsequently, numerous other N-nitroso compounds, many produced as by-products of industrial operations and food and alcoholic beverage processing, were found to be carcinogenic. 

Toxicity The acute oral LD50 and dermal LD50 toxicity of toxaphene in rats are 40 and 600 mg/kg, respectively. Toxaphene is an active nerve poison and interferes with fluxes of cations across nerve cell membranes, which increases neuronal irritability and results in convulsions and seizures. Toxaphene also has been found to damage the lungs, liver, and kidney of animals and humans. Although the dermal adsorption efficiency of toxaphene is less than that of other organochlorines, its absorption is enhanced by fat and fat solvents. Toxaphene has been shown to cause cancer in pregnant animals and to induce birth defects.68... 

Toxicity Any acute exposure to vapors of 1,1,1-trichloroethane leads to irritation of the nose, throat, and eyes, and results in headaches. Exposure to high concentrations or vapors of 1,1,1-trichloroethane is known to cause damage to the CNS, leading to behavioral disorders, dizzy spells, sleepiness, and, in some cases, coma reversible injuries to the liver and kidneys also have been observed. Overexposure of 1,1,1-trichloroethane in occupational/work environments causes headache, CNS depression, irritation to eyes, dermatitis, and cardiac arrhythmias. Effects of repeated or long-term exposure to the solvent causes visual problems, loss of coordination, reduction of the tactile sensitivity of the skin, trembling, giddiness, anxiety, and slowing of the pulse rate. 

Toxic effects of chemicals can range from mild and reversible (e.g., headache from inhaling petroleum naphtha vapors that disappears with fresh air) to serious and irreversible (e.g., liver or kidney damage from excessive exposures to chlorinated solvents). Toxic effects from chemical exposure depend on the severity of the exposures. Greater exposure and repeated exposure generally lead to more severe effects. 

Trichloroethane is the most common solvent used in the dry cleaning of clothes. Carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) was used in the past, but it has been found to cause liver damage and is carcinogenic. 

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