Solvent exposures carbon disulfide

Pure carbon disulfide is a clear, colorless Hquid with a deHcate etherHke odor. A faint yellow color slowly develops upon exposure to sunlight. Low-grade commercial carbon disulfide may display some color and may have a strong, foul odor because of sulfurous impurities. Carbon disulfide is slightly miscible with water, but it is a good solvent for many organic compounds. Thermodynamic constants (1), vapor pressure (1,2), spectral transmission (3,4), and other properties (1,2,5—7) of carbon disulfide have been deterrnined. Principal properties are Hsted in Table 1. 

Cardiovascular Effects. In a cohort mortality study of workers in a large rubber and tire manufacturing plant, Wilcosky and Tyroler (1983) found a significant increase in mortality from ischemic heart disease in phenol exposed workers. Of the 25 solvents used in the plant, phenol exposure showed the strongest association with mortality from heart disease, greater even than that observed for exposure to carbon disulfide, the only known occupational cause of atherosclerosis. 

So-called peripheral neuropathies can result from excessive exposure to certain industrial solvents such as carbon disulfide (CS2, used in the rubber and rayon industries) and hexane (CgHn, once used in certain glues and cleaning fluids). Over-exposure to acrylamide, an important industrial chemical, and chronic alcohol abuse can also induce this effect. As the name implies, it involves attack of the chemical on and damage to axonal portions of neurons. Typical symptoms of peripheral neuropathies include weakness or numbness in the limbs, which are more or less reversible depending upon the specific agent and the intensity of exposure. 

Nonmetallic neurotoxins are frequently used in industry in manufacturing of chemicals and resins or as solvents. Some examples are hydrogen sulfide (which paralyzes specifically the nervous centers that control respiratory movement), carbon disulfide, -hexane, methyl -butyl ketone, and acrylamide. Exposure to all of these substances may occur through inhalation of vapors. In addition, carbondisufide and acrylamide may enter the system by dermal absorption. -Hexane and methyl -butyl ketone are not toxic by themselves but are activated by cytochrome P-450 to the neurotoxic hexanedione (CH3COCH2CH2COCH3). 

Materials and Methods. The isomeric compositions of the four polybutadienes used are listed in Table I. Samples were prepared for infrared measurement from solutions of the polymer without further purification. Most films were cast from carbon disulfide solutions on mercury or on glass plates, but a few films were cast from hexane solutions to determine whether or not the solvent affected the radiation-induced behavior. No difference was observed for films cast from the different solvents. The films were cured by exposure to x-rays in vacuum. (Doses were below the level producing detectable radiation effects.) They were then mounted on aluminum frames for infrared measurements. The thicknesses of the films were controlled for desirable absorbance ranges and varied from 0.61 X 10 s to 2 X 10 3 cm. After measuring the infrared spectrum with a Perkin-Elmer 221 infrared spectrophotometer, the mounted films were evacuated to 3 microns and sealed in glass or quartz tubes (quartz tubes only were used for reactor irradiations). 

Identity of amino acid sequences between subtilisins E and BPN is 86%, so three-dimensional structures of the two enzymes are considered to be very similar. In the case of subtilisin BPN, residues 61 and 98 are located on the loop and turn structure, respectively, both of which connect /3-strand and a-helix (Fig. 12.5). Solvent exposures of the residues are both 9,45) indicating their presence on the surface of the enzyme molecule. The distance between the a-carbons of the two residues is 5.8 A. Accordingly, the positions seem appropriate for cysteine residues to form a disulfide bond without any strain in the enzyme structure. The disulfide bond formed is located close to the active site so as to stabilize the wall of the active-site pocket (Fig. 12.5). 

Chronic moderate- to high-level exposure to some organic solvents, such as carbon disulfide, n-hexane and methyl n-butyl ketone, can cause encephalopathies (14), which have been variously described as organic solvent syndrome , painters syndrome , psycho-organic syndrome , and chronic solvent encephalopathy (15). 

Attempts should be made to use alternate solvents for industrial processes. Solvents that pose and cause the most serious risk to human health should be replaced by less hazardous ones. If this is not possible, at least the work conditions and exposure to solvents should be adjusted to avoid or minimize the health risk. This may be achieved, for example, by using a closed process. Among solvents, the most hazardous ones identified are benzene, carbon disulfide, and carbon tetrachloride. 

Occupational exposures Acrylate and derivatives Cadmium dust Carbon disulfide Formaldehyde Hydrogen sulfide Solvents (volatile hydrocarbons)... 

Occupational exposure to mercury (0.08) and chemical solvents, including styrene (2.95), tetrachloroethylene (3.40), /j-hexane (3.90), toluene (2.73), and carbon disulfide (1.94), has been shown to impair color vision in exposed workers J48l Color vision impairment was also observed for those exposed to solvent mixtures at levels below TLV values. I49l No explanation was offered by the authors for the observed mixture effect. 

So-called peripheral neuropathies can result from excessive exposures to certain industrial solvents such as carbon disulfide (CS2, used in the rubber and rayon industries) and hexane (CgH, once used... 

Inhalation of carbon disulfide in workplace air is generally the main route of human exposure to the compound, with skin exposure also important when the solvent is handled manually. 

Liang YX, Glowa JR, Dews PB. 1983. Behavioral toxicology of volatile organic solvents. III. Acute and subacute effects of carbon disulfide exposure on the behavior of mice. J Am Coll Toxicol 2 379-389. 

Solvent manufacturing is an important part of the economy. Annual productions of carbon disulfide and xylene range in the millions of tons (Arlien-Soborg 1992 Snyder and Andrews 1996). The annual production of 1,1,1-trichloroethane, found in 250 household chemicals, exceeds 700 million tons (Kurt and Buffler 1995). With this level of production, a significant number of workers are at risk for exposure. More than 450,000 workers have exposure risks to per-chloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene in the dry cleaning industry (White et al. 1990). Various sources indicate possible exposures of 3.5 million workers to trichloroethylene and 140,000 potentially... 

Table 13-3 lists the psychiatric signs and symptoms attributed to accidental or occupational exposure to various solvents. No doubt exists over the neurotoxicity of carbon disulfide, even at low doses, or of many other solvents at high doses. Significant controversy surrounds the neurotoxicity of low levels of occupational exposure. 

Hooisma J, Hanninen H, Emmen HH, et al Behavioral effects of exposure to organic solvents in Dutch painters. Neurotoxicol Teratol 15 397 106,1993 Huang CC, Chu CC, Chen RS, et al Chronic carbon disulfide encephalopathy. Eur Neurol 36 364-368, 1996... 

Colorless to yellow, oily liquid. Pyrophoric in air burns to FejOj. Dec by light to Fe/cO), and CO. mp —20". bp 103, dj° 1.46-1.52 rtg 1.453. Critical temp 285-288 critical pressure 29.6 atm. Flash pi —15. Heat capacity at constant pressure (14 ) 56.9 cal/mole/ C. Latent heat of fusion 3161 cal/mol latent heat of vaporization 9.6kcal/-mole. Heat of combustion —386.9 kcal/mole heat of formation [Fe(CO),0iq)] —182.6 kcal/mole. Practically insol in water readily sol in most organic solvents including ether, benzene, petr ether, acetone, ethyl acetate, carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulfide slightly sol in alcohol practically insol in liquid ammonia. Protect from light and air, LDM in mice, rats 2.19, 0.91 mg/1 inhalation, exposure for 30 min. (Sunderman). 

Minute pale yellow crystals from abs ale. Bitter taste. Darkens on exposure to light. Dec 225-230. uv max (ethanol) 328 nm, extinction 0.580. Sol in hot ale very sparing-ly sol in cold ale. Insol in water, acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, carbon disulfide, petr ether Practically insol in the other common organic solvents except glycols, Soly in propylene glycol about 1%. It is pos-... 

Moscato et al. (1997) studied concentrations of benzene, toluene and xylene in a hospital in Italy located far away from industrial and high-traffic pollution. They undertook fixed-site and area monitoring using the 130-Radiello, radial-diffusive type cartridge filled with 530 mg of activated charcoal and an exposure period of 8 h. For analysis the charcoal was solvent desorbed with carbon disulfide and analysed by GC/FID using a Vocol 30 m/0.53 mm ID/3 pm film thickness fused silica capillary column (Supelco, USA). Indoor benzene concentrations were low (<1 pg/m ), mean toluene concentrations ranged from 1.44 pg/m (summer) to 6.04 pg/m (autumn) and xylenes ranged from 10.78 pg/m- (summer) to 21.48 pg/m (winter). 

This chapter deals merely with exposure to common organic solvents which are used in large quantities to dissolve fats, resins, and other materials. Very dangerous chemicals, such as benzene, which are no more used as solvents due to their toxic properties, will not be discussed even though they may have had even extensive uses as solvents earlier and even though those may be still important chemicals as petroleum components or as intermediates for other chemicals. Also, solvents with very specialized uses, such as carbon disulfide the use of which is practically limited to viscose rayon industry and laboratories, are only... 

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