Occupational triphenyltin acetate poisoning: a case report.

A case of triphenyltin acetate (TPTA) poisoning is described. The patient, who had been exposed mainly to cutaneous absorption, showed acute stages of an urticarial eruption, signs of hepatic injury, slight glucose intolerance, and electroencephalographic abnormalities. Concomitant with the highest concentrations of tin in plasma and the peak of tin excretion in urine, neutrophils did not show the normal increase in actin polymerisation after stimulation with a chemotactic peptide (100 nM fMLP).

Trace element reference values in tissues from inhabitants of the European community. I. A study of 46 elements in urine, blood and serum of Italian subjects.

Neutron activation analysis-electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (ETA-AAS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) have been used for the determination of 46 elements in urine, 35 in blood and 26 in serum of unexposed Italian subjects living in the same region (Lombardy). The results allowed the proposal of reference values for various elements determined in more than 350 healthy subjects, these being Ag, Al, As, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Tl, V, Zn, in urine; Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se, Tl, Zn in blood; and Ag, Al, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Tl, V, Zn in serum (or plasma). For all other elements indicative values are suggested.

[The determination of iron, lead, copper and zinc in the hair of children between 22 and 85 months old].

In this study the levels of Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn, determined in hair of healthy children (25-85 months), living at Araraquara (São Paulo, Brasil) are reported. Analytical determinations were carried out by using atomic absorption spectrometry employing an air acetylene flame. The results obtained are discussed with regard to effect of sex and age, as well compared with others analogous studies.

[Acute accidental poisoning by mercury vapors in the home environment].

The authors report 2 cases of acute mercury intoxication due to accidental breakage of barometer on to a lit gas ring. Within 24-48 hours the subjects developed neurological, gastrointestinal and dermatological symptoms. A 24-hour urine sample contained 600 and 400 micrograms of mercury per liter respectively (reference value 0.

[Thallium-induced alopecia].

A case of accidental Thallium intoxication showing, as the only sign, alopecia of the scalp with depigmentation of the hair, is described. A 21 year old woman developed acute loss of hair after ingestion of contaminate tomatoes. No further signs of intoxication were evident.

Efficacy and safety of long-term treatment with calcium carbonate as a phosphate binder.

The efficacy and safety of calcium carbonate as a phosphate binder was evaluated in 20 patients on chronic hemodialysis who had previously received aluminum hydroxide. During the control period the patients were on aluminum hydroxide and calcitriol therapy and had plasma phosphorus levels less than 6 mg/dL (4.95 +/- 0.

Urinary chromium levels in subjects living in two north Italy regions.

The concentration of total urinary chromium (Cr-U) in two different groups of healthy occupationally non-exposed subjects living in the Italian regions of Lombardia and Veneto has been determined using an ETA-AAS direct method. The age, sex, residence and smoking habits were correlated with CrU excretion. The mean CrU value found in subjects living in Lombardia (n = 310, males 170 and females 140) was 0.

Urinary thallium: critical problems, reference values and preliminary results of an investigation in workers with suspected industrial exposure.

Using a sensitive ETA ASS method, urinary thallium (Tl-U) has been measured in a group of non-exposed individuals and in two groups of workers with suspected industrial exposure. In non-exposed subjects (72 healthy males aged 41 +/- 11 years) the Tl-U mean value was 0.22 mu/l (range 0.

Chromium in urine, serum and red blood cells in the biological monitoring of workers exposed to different chromium valency states.

Using personal air sampling exposure to hexavalent and trivalent chromium was measured in 22 workers mainly exposed to Cr(VI) and in 15 workers mainly exposed to Cr(III) as basic chromium sulphate. Determination of Cr(VI) in the urine of all the subjects using a selective technique by ETA-AAS and liquid anion exchangers failed to show detectable amounts of the hexavalent form, the detection limit of the technique being 0.05 micrograms/L.

Effects of silver in isolated rat hepatocytes.

Addition of silver nitrate or silver lactate to freshly isolated hepatocytes caused dose-dependent loss of cell viability, measured by trypan blue exclusion, at concentrations within 30-70 microM. Silver cytotoxicity was accompanied by a decrease in hepatic thiol concentration and an increase in lipid peroxidation. Treatment of hepatocytes with the reduced glutathione (GSH)-depleting agent diethylmaleate markedly increased their vulnerability to silver toxicity whereas protective effects were produced by the thiol-reducing agent, dithiothreitol.

[Preanalytical factors in chromium analysis of blood samples].

The problems connected with the collection of blood samples for chromium determination are shown with particular reference to the risk of chromium contamination which characterizes venous and capillary blood sampling. The use of various types of blood taking equipment (syringes with steel needles, platinum/ruthenium needles, intravenous catheters and lancets in steel of quarz) have been compared and analyzed (with references to the potential sources of chromium contamination during the collection and conservation of blood samples). By the use of the use of ETA-AAS "Zeema" procedure the references values of chromium in serum, read cells and whole blood in normal unexposed subjects living in a region of Northern Italy (Lombardy) have been determined.

Lead level of whole blood and plasma in workers exposed to lead stearate.

In a group of 23 male workers exposed to lead stearate the levels of lead in whole blood and plasma were determined and compared to those obtained from a group of 23 subjects exposed to inorganic lead compounds. The mean values for lead in whole blood were similar in both groups, while the mean lead concentration in plasma was 0.1729 (SD 0.

Human toxicology of boron with special reference to boric acid poisoning.

The improper use of boric acid containing antiseptics is still one of the most common causes of toxic accidents in newborns and infants. Health hazards may also arise from inadvertent absorption of insecticides and household products containing borates as well as from occupational accidents related to production and use of boranes. A variety of boronated agents with hypolipidemic, antiinflammatory or anticancer properties have been developed in recent years.

Toxicology and health impact of environmental exposure to boron. A review.

The presence of high concentrations of boron in community water supplies has been reported as a localized problem in certain areas of United States, USSR and Italy. In this paper, current information on sources, occurrence, pollution potential and toxicity of environmental boron is reviewed. In animals, chronic low-level boron exposure has been shown to cause reduced growth, cutaneous disorders and suppression of male reproductive system function.

[Toxicological and analytical lists: chromium and its compounds].

The main aspects of occupational exposure to chromium and chromium compounds are surveyed. Special attention is paid to the toxic action of this metal at the different target organs. The nutritional aspect of CrIII is examined preliminarily, and data detailing the metal contents in water and food are provided.

Metal ions in body fluids after arthroplasty.

We measured levels of metal ions in urine and plasma of 17 patients 7-15 years after they had a Co-Cr-Mo alloy total hip replacement. They had higher levels of cobalt and chromium than controls. No case of skin sensitivity to the investigated metals was observed.

Determination of total and hexavalent chromium in bile after intravenous administration of potassium dichromate in rats.

Total and hexavalent chromium were measured in bile samples obtained from cannulated bile ducts of male rats iv administered with potassium dichromate at various doses corresponding to 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mg of chromium.

[Environmental and biological monitoring of subjects occupationally exposed to precious metals (gold lost-wax casting)].

Environmental monitoring during lost wax casting in jewelry handicrafts was performed for gold, silver, zinc and copper by means of personal samplers and ICP-AAS techniques were used for determining airborne metals. Personal sampling was prolonged for a working week by continuous monitoring during 8 hours shifts, replacing the membrane filter every 2 hours, in 6 workers; in the same workers urine samples were collected during the week and levels of Au, Ag, Zn and Cu were measured by ETA-AAS. During casting process Ag air concentrations ranged 0.

[Serum and erythrocyte chromium distribution and urinary elimination in persons occupationally exposed to chromium (VI) and chromium (III)].

With personal air samplers exposure to hexavalent and trivalent chromium was measured in 17 workers mainly exposed to Cr (VI) and in 7 workers mainly exposed to Cr (III) as basic chromium sulphate. Determination of Cr (VI) in urine of all the subject using a selective technique failed to show detectable amounts and postshift urinary total chromium was found, while urine levels of of workers exposed to chromic sulphate were not related to Cr. (III) air concentrations.

[Determination of aluminum in the blood: extra-analytical factors].

Values of Al in serum or plasma of normal subjects reported in the literature vary greatly. The wide range reflects the analytical difficulties and large contamination problems. In order to obtain accurate results we report a direct method for determination of Al-S(P) by using flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry.