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Hazards
Health Hazards
Details of Human Experience
Industrial Experience
The investigator and author of a historical prospective mortality study of Shell employees with presumed exposure to epichlorohydrin has concluded that there is weak evidence for human carcinogenicity from all of the data collected through 1979. One case of skin burns resulting from prolonged contact with the liquid required hospitalization for two days. There were no systemic effects and the patient recovered without complications. Eye conditions resulting from either overexposure to vapor or direct contact with the liquid have not been severe and in no instance has there been a reported loss of corneal substance or impairment of vision. Sensitization with resulting intolerance to very small quantities of epichlorohydrin is occasionally reported, but these have been infrequent in workmen handling this chemical. Most industrial injuries and the most common complaints have resulted from liquid contact; frequently, burns of the feet occur due to continued wearing of contaminated leather shoes despite efforts to decontaminate them by washing both the inner and outer surface. Leather articles wet with epichlorohydrin must be destroyed to prevent reuse.
Pulmonary Irritation
Epichlorohydrin vapor can produce various degrees of local irritation or injury to the tissues of the respiratory tract. Evidence of overexposure to the vapor is ordinarily manifested by subjective complaints of eye, nose, or throat irritation; there may also be sneezing or perhaps bleeding at the nose in more severe cases. These symptoms, which have been seen only on occasion, have not proven of lasting severity and respond readily to medical treatment.
Experimental data indicate that injury to the lungs can also be produced by heavy exposure to epichlorohydrin vapor. Accordingly, subtle signs of shortness of breath, painful and uncontrolled coughing or grey cyanosis should be carefully watched in all cases of vapor exposure.
Systemic Intoxication
Although human intoxication by epichlorohydrin has not been seen to date, experimental data on animals suggests that kidney damage may occur. Symptoms referable to the gastrointestinal tract may be the earliest manifestation of epichlorohydrin intoxication in man. Hence, workers with complaints of nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, loss of appetite, or discomfort in the liver region should be carefully observed and, if necessary, removed from further exposures to epichlorohydrin.
Fertility Effects
A recent study indicated that epichlorohydrin affected fertility in animals.18 Concerns raised by these animal studies prompted an investigation of testicular function among Shell epichlorohydrin workers at our two manufacturing locations. Statistical analysis of both sperm counts and hormone analysis showed no significant differences between the exposed group and a control group. No evidence could be demonstrated of an epichlorohydrin related impairment of testicular function.3
Epidemiology
A historical prospective mortality study was conducted on a group of Shell Chemical Company employees who had been exposed for more than three months to undetermined but sometimes high concentrations of epichlorohydrin in an attempt to define the carcinogenic risk. A summary of the study1 follows:
863 males were identified who had been occupationally exposed to epichlorohydrin (ECH) at two facilities belonging to the Shell Oil Company. These were exposed to ECH 3 months or more prior to 1966. All but 17 could be followed for deaths occurring through December 31, 1979. Overall, mortality was low. Confirmed deaths were 65 vs the expected 115.72. For men 15 years or more after first exposure, 15 cancer deaths were observed vs. 14.94 expected; 9 respiratory cancer deaths were observed vs 6.55 expected; 2 leukemia deaths were observed vs 0.53 expected. For 15 years after first exposure and where exposure intensity could be determined to be heavy to moderate, 9 cancer deaths were observed and 1 leukemia death was observed vs 0.28 expected. These data are viewed as weak evidence of a carcinogenic risk.
The following important considerations must be concluded in the analysis of this report:
- The total of 10 deaths from respiratory cancer out of a total of 65 not statistically significant at the p less than or equal to 0.05 level.
- Specific information on pathological cell types in the reported cancers was absent.
- Specific information was absent on levels of exposure and on exposure to chemicals other than epichlorohydrin or to smoking.
Warning Properties
Epichlorohydrin has an irritation, chloroform like odor, but its presence is not detectable by odor at concentrations below about 10 ppm. In one experiment, sensory perception limits determined by responses of unconditioned personnel during or after 5 minutes of exposure to vapor were:
Sensory perception limits
| Threshold*, Odor50 |
10-12 ppm |
| Threshold**, Odor100 |
25 ppm |
Threshold, Eye and
nose irritation |
100 ppm |
*Concentrations at which 50% of persons tested detect odor.
**Concentration at which almost all persons detect odor.
At 25 ppm the odor is recognized by most people; one report indicated eye and nose irritation only at levels exceeding 100 ppm while another stated that 40 ppm at the site of a spill caused immediate eye, nose, and throat irritation. The earliest symptoms of intoxication may be referable to the gastrointestinal tract (nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort) or pain in the region of the liver; labored breathing, cough, and cyanosis may be evident; the onset of chemical pneumonitis may occur several hours after exposure.
NOTE: Absence of odor does not indicate (or should not be used to indicate) that the concentration is below the compliance level. Olfactory fatigue or other factors may also affect the sense of smell.
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