Symptoms of Solvent Poisoning

Epigastric pain, nausea, anorexia, liver necrosis 

Coronary artery disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia Vascular changes, cerebrovascular disease, retinal microaneurysms Nephrosclerosis, renal disease Weakness, paresthesias, peripheral neuritis, cranial nerve injury, pain, footdrop, abnormal gait, tremor, choreiform movements, optic neuritis, polyneuropathy, parkinsonism, headache, electroencephalogram changes, retrobulbar neuritis 

Blindness, hearing loss, corneal sensitivity, visual disturbances Oily skin, skin and mucous membrane irritation, chronic cough 

Nausea, vomiting, liver necrosis Acute renal failure, kidney necrosis Blood pressure changes, arrhythmias, sudden death 

Tachypnea, pulmonary edema, dyspnea Skin and mucous membrane irritation, activation of herpes simplex, contact dermatitis, degreaser s flush when consuming alcohol, burns, conjunctivitis, dermatographism, rash Anesthesia, analgesia, seizures, headache, trigeminal neuropathy, weakness, hemiparesis, cranial nerve damage, neuritis, paralysis, tremor, ataxia, vertigo Hot flashes, perspiration, increased blood lipids, mild anemia 

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TABLE 13-2. Signs and symptoms of solvent poisoning fcontinued)... 

Benzene is a flammable liquid and its vapors are toxic and explosive. Low concentrations are dangerous on continued inhalation because benzene affects the blood forming function of the bone marrow and it is a cancirogen. Dermatitis may result from repeated skin contact. Alkyl derivatives such as toluene and xylenes are far less toxic and are, therefore, much safer than benzene for use in solvents. Some of the symptoms of benzene poisoning are dizziness, constriction of the chest, and tightening of the leg muscles. 

SAFETY PROFILE Poison by ingestion, skin contact, and intravenous routes. Experimental teratogenic and reproductive effects. Questionable carcinogen. Mutation data reported. A central nervous system stimulant. Highly toxic to birds, fish, and humans. Many cases of fatal poisoning have been attributed to it. Does not accumulate in human tissue. In humans, ingestion of 1 mg/kg has caused symptoms. A dangerous fire hazard. Mixtures with parathion dissolve very exothermically in petroleum solvents and may cause an air-vapor explosion. See also ALDRIN. 

Given the common formulation of pyrethroids with volatile solvents such as xylene, symptoms of poisoning can be complicated by solvent toxicity, and solvents may also introduce additional skin effects. Mild poisoning symptoms may also be amplified by anxiety, which may itself be precipitated by fear or by the disconcerting paresthesia resulting from dermal contact with pyrethroids. 

An early case report of aldrin poisoning (Spiotta 1951) identified a confounding factor in chemical exposures. Persons may use insecticides in suicide attempts, and a survivor of suicidal poisoning may have a preexisting psychiatric condition. The insecticide may organically modify his or her condition. Most insecticides contain solvents that promote the potential of a combined effect of insecticide and solvent ingestion. Certain symptoms may result from solvent rather than insecticide exposure. 

Household pesticides Numerous formulations some contain hydrocarbon solvents, others are water-based. Pesticides used may include pyrethrins, organophosphates, or carbamates, but generally low potency and in concentrations less than 1.5%. The risk of pesticide poisoning is very low unless intenhonal massive exposure. Symptoms after exposure mainly due to inhalation of the hydrocarbon solvent. 

Symptoms of acute solvent poisoning include dizziness, drowsiness, headache, loss of consciousness, and narcotic effects which are attributed to disturbances of the central nervous system. Chronic poisoning is initially undetectable, but subsequently causes damage to organs that are specific for each solvent [14.107]-[14.11oj. 

Methanol, CH3OH, is water soluble. Meths is an industrial solvent mixture of ethanol and methanol. It often contains a purple dye and an additive to make it unpalatable to drink. Methanol is poisonous (one spoonful of neat methanol can kill). It can produce similar physiological symptoms to ethanol if consumed in very small quantities in diluted form. It has the additional hazard that it sends people blind and insane and can become addictive. 

Human Toxicity Symptoms on ingestion similar to ethylene glycol, q.v Fatal poisoning resulted from its use as a solvent in an elixir. See E. Browning, Toxicity and Metabolism of Industrial Solvents (Elsevier, New York, 1965) pp 624-628, 686-690 Patty s Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology yoI. 2C,G. D. Clayton, F. E. Clayton, Eds. (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 3rd ed.. 1982) pp 3832-3838. 

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