MCS Mixture Effect

More than half of approximately 200 employees working with composite plastic materials in the building of an aircraft manufacturing plant reported CNS, respiratory, heart, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Phenol (1.46), formaldehyde (0.35), styrene (2.95), methylene chloride (1.25), methanol (-0.77), as well as several lipophilic aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were found in the air of the building. All exposures were at levels below PEL)24 

A mystery illness that affected 17 casino workers with respiratory and CNS symptoms following fumigation with a mixture consisting of propoxur (1.52), coumaphos (4.13), 1,1,1-trichloro-ethane (2.49), methylene chloride (1.25), xylene (3.15), and acetone (-0.24). Industrial hygiene evaluation showed only trace quantities of the chemicals noted.  

A laboratory study on mice found that there was little or no observed effect when water containing nitrates (-4.39) alone, aldicarb (1.13) alone, or atrazine (2.61) alone at groundwater MCL levels were consumed. When consumed together, however, in drinking water at the MCLs for groundwater, the mixture altered immune, endocrine, and nervous system parameters. I26 

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