Health Effects of Toxic Chemicals

There are many materials used in the workplace that can be hazardous. However, in order for them to affect your health, they must contact the body or be absorbed into the body. When assessing the potential health effects from working with a particular material it is necessary to understand difference between "toxicity" and "hazard". 1. TOXICITY is the ability of a substance to produce an unwanted effect when the chemical has reached a sufficient concentration at a certain site in the body. The more toxic a material is, the smaller the amount of it necessary to be absorbed before harmful effects are caused. The lower the toxicity, the greater the quantity of it necessary to be absorbed. The toxicity of a chemical is generally measured by experiments on animals (quite often rats). If it is measured in terms of the amounts of material necessary to cause death in 50% of the test animals. These values are called LD50 (lethal dose) or LC50 (lethal concentration), and are usually given in weight of material per kg of body weight or airborne concentration of material per set time period respectively. 2. HAZARD is the probability that this concentration in the body will occur. Toxicity is an inherent property of the material. A material may be very toxic, but not hazardous, if it is handled properly and is not absorbed into the body. On the other hand, a material may have a very low toxicity, but be very hazardous. Example: 1. An open container of an acid is much more hazardous than a closed container of the same material. 2. Two liquids may possess the same degree of toxicity but present different degrees of hazard:One material may be non-irritating to the eyes and nose and odourless. The other may be irritating to the eyes or respiratory system and possess a pungent odour.

The latter material, because of its warning properties presents a lesser degree of hazard. In order for toxicants to affect the human system either they must cause damage to external tissues, such as the skin or eyes, or they must be able to enter the body by some mechanism. Routes of Entry There are three primary routes of entry into the body: ingestion, skin or eye absorption, and inhalation. Ingestion:- This means taking a material into the body by mouth (swallowing). Ingestion of toxic materials may occur as a result of eating in a contaminated work area. Absorption- Substances that contact the eye and the skin may be either absorbed into the body or cause local effects. For the majority of organic compounds, the contribution from skin absorption to the total exposure should not be neglected. Inhalation- This means taking a material into the body by breathing it in. In the lungs, very tiny blood vessels are in constant contact with the air we breath in. As a result, airborne contaminants can be easily absorbed through this tissue. In the occupational environment, this is generally the most important route of entry. Inhalation This is the principal route of entry of dangerous substances, in the form of dusts, gases, vapours, mists etc., into the body and accounts for approximately 90 per cent of all cases of ill health associated with exposure to toxic substances. The effects may be:

Acute or immediate, as in gassing accidents associated with the evolution of carbon monoxide, chlorine and nitrous oxide; or

Chronic, as with exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbons, lead compounds and numerous dusts.

Pervasion (Absorption)

This is normally associated with occupational dermatitis, which may be associated with exposure to primary irritants or what are known as secondary cutaneous sepsitisers. Primary irritants generally cause dermatitis at the site of contact when permitted to act for a sufficient length of time and in sufficient concentration. E.g. acids, alkalis and solvents. Secondary cutaneous sensitisers, however, do not necessarily cause skin changes on first contact, but bring about a specific sensitisation of the skin. When further contact occurs, dermatitis will develop at the site of the second contact. Nickel, rubber, certain plants and a wide range of chemical substances are known skin sensitisers. Ingestion This implies entry through the mouth into the digestive system. Typical entry is through consumption of contaminated food and drink. Injection and implantation

Injection of dangerous substances directly may take place through a forceful breach of the skin, perhaps as a result of an accident. On the other hand, implantation implies a controlled insertion of a substance into the body.

Aspiration This is the introduction of a liquid into the lungs, such as organic solvents. This can result in severe inflammation of the lungs (pneumonitis). Moreover, aspiration can occur during vomiting, particularly where a patient may be unconscious or semi-conscious.