Toxicology: Household & Industrial Hazards

• Module 3 discusses toxicological agents, covering household and industrial hazards.
• Exercise 6 concentrates on household products.
• Exercise 7 focuses on environmental toxicology.

Hazard Symbols

• Corrosive: Capable of eating away materials and destroying living tissue upon contact.
• Radioactive: Can damage and destroy cells and chromosomal material, potentially causing cancer, mutations, and fetal harm.
• Toxic: Poisonous either immediately (acutely toxic) or over a long period (chronically toxic).
• Flammable: Capable of burning or causing a fire.
• Explosive: Can cause an explosion or release poisonous fumes when exposed to air, water, or other chemicals.
• Oxidizing, compressed gas, irritant, health hazard, and environmental hazard, laser hazard, ionizing radiation, non-ionizing radiation, biohazard, high voltage, and chemical weapon.

Household Products

• Information to check: common/chemical name, amount/content, signal word, safe handling instructions, manufacturer info, hazard description, first aid.
• Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which is very toxic; it can cause dizziness and damage to the heart, brain, and kidneys. It also contains methanol which is moderately toxic and can cause respiratory damage.
• Bleach contains sodium hypochlorite which is corrosive and can irritate or burn the nose, skin, eyes, and throat.
• Drain cleaner contains KOH and sulfuric acid which are caustic and corrosive and can cause burning of skin and eyes.
• Furniture polish contains petroleum distillates or mineral spirits, which are highly flammable and moderately toxic and can irritate the skin, eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.
• Gasoline contains petroleum hydrocarbon (benzene), which is highly flammable, irritates the skin, eyes, nose, throat, and lungs; benzene is a carcinogen.
• Air fresheners contain formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, p-dichlorobenzene, and aerosol propellants, making them toxic and flammable.
• Toilet bowl cleaners contain hydrochloric acid (corrosive) and SLS which can cause irritation to the skin, are carcinogens, and are irritants to the eyes.
• Nail polish remover contains acetone and alcohol, which are flammable and irritant to eyes.
• Floor cleaner contains diethylene glycol which is toxic and can cause CNS depression. It also contains petroleum solvent which is highly flammable and irritant, and ammonia which causes vapor irritation to eyes, respiratory tract and skin .
• Insecticide contains organophosphate and can cause headache, nausea, dizziness, and increased secretions such as sweating, salivation, tearing, and respiratory secretions.
• Cold wave lotions contain thioglycolate, which can cause dyspnea and asthma.
• Hair dyes contain paraphenylenediamine, which can cause asthma and dermatitis.
• Cuticle removers contain KOH, NaOH, AHA (glycolic, lactic, mandelic, citric acid), which can cause photosensitivity and keratinization.
• Hair sprays contain PVP, polyvinyl acetate, formaldehyde, and phthalates, which can cause dermatitis, respiratory illness, and can be teratogenic.

Prevention

• Selection of the right product.
• Safe usage of the product.
• Proper storage.

Specific Household Poisons

• Mothballs contain naphthalene/p-DCB or PDB, used to protect clothes; toxic effects include headache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and hemolytic anemia.
• Racumin contains coumatetralyl used as a rodenticide; toxic effects include bleeding.
• Baygon contains pyrethroids used as an insecticide causing drowsiness, dizziness, and skin irritation.
• Carbamates/Organophosphates are used as pesticides which can cause cholinergic innervation.
• SLUDGE : Salivation, Lacrimation, Urination, Defecation, GI Cramps, Emesis
• MT : Mydriasis Tachycardia
• WTF : Weakness, Twitching, Fasciculation

Air Pollutants

• Ozone, bad ozone (ground-level ozone) created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen & volatile organic compounds in the sunlight.
• Major sources of NOx & VOC are emissions from industrial facilities & electric utilities and exhaust from motor vehicles, gasoline vapors & chemical solvents.
• Particulate matter is a complex mixture of extremely small particles & liquid droplets, 10µm or smaller, that can cause serious health effects.
• Carbon monoxide is a chemical asphyxiant that restricts the oxygen delivery to body organs, causing difficulty in breathing.
• Nitrogen dioxide is a deep lung irritant found with burning fossil fuels, high temperatures such as coal, oil, methane, or diesel are used.
• Sulfur dioxide is a water-soluble irritant gas that stimulates bronchoconstriction & mucus secretion; source from combustion of fossil fuels, volcanic activity.

Land Pollutants

• Agricultural waste: pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, dead animals, animal wastes, land conversion.
• Industrial waste: demolition, construction process, toxic industrial chemicals, mining, landfill.
• Human actions: deforestation, kaingin system, desertification, inadequate waste treatment and disposal.

Other Land Pollutants

• Urbanization, metals production, nuclear research, soil pollution.
• Chernobyl Disaster: April 1986, nuclear reactor malfunction, caused largest uncontrolled release of waste into environment for 10 days. Affected countries Ukraine, Belarus, Russia. Main radioactive wastes Iodine-131, Cesium-137. Caused 28 deaths within 3 months.

Water Pollutants

• Microorganisms include giardia lamblia, vibrio cholera, entamoeba histolytica, e. coli, and enteroviruses.
• Water disinfectants: chlorine, bromate, haloacetic acids, trihalomethanes.
• Inorganic chemicals: arsenic, asbestos, beryllium, cadmium, cyanide, and mercury.
• Organic chemicals: benzene, carbon tetrachloride, and chlorobenzene.