A Case of Optic Neuropathy Associated with Methyl Bromide Intoxication

Shin, Hyun Uk; Kim, Jong Kuk; Yoon, Byeol A; Ryu, Won Yeol

doi:10.3341/jkos.2016.57.12.1987

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 6 publications

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“…In addition to being an ozone depleting substance, MB is a highly toxic pesticide that causes acute or chronic toxicity to fumigators and related workers [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]; a worker at a warehouse that stores fumigated plants showed an unstable gait, vertigo and paraesthesia of both feet due to MB poisoning; fumigators presented polyneuropathy, optic neuropathy, and cerebellar signs with high MB concentrations in the blood and urine; two experienced fumigation workers entered a building with high MB concentrations, rapidly felt unwell and complained of nausea and shortness of breath; and cases of MB toxicity were reported in ships on which containers were fumigated as well as in warehouses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negative effect of methyl bromide fumigation work on the central nervous system

et al. 2020

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Methyl bromide (MB) is a fumigant that has been widely used for killing pests on plants in trade, soils, and structures worldwide due to its excellent permeability and insecticidal effect; however, MB should be replaced because it is an ozone-depleting substance. It is well-known that MB is highly toxic and hazardous to workers, but the effects of exposure in asymptomatic workers have not been explored. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of MB fumigation on the health of fumigators at a sensitive level. The electroencephalogram (EEG) and urinary bromide ion levels of 44 fumigators (the study group) and 20 inspectors (the control) were measured before and after fumigation work from February to August 2019 in Busan, Korea. The mean post-work concentration of bromide ion (18.311 μg/mg CRE) in the fumigators was significantly increased from the pre-work level (7.390 μg/mg CRE) (P<0.001). The fumigator post-work median frequencies (MDF) and alpha-to-theta ratios (ATR) of EEG index were significantly decreased compared to the pre-work values (P<0.05 for all indices). In contrast, there were no significant differences in inspector EEG indices and urinary bromide ion. The urinary bromide ion levels in all the subjects were negatively correlated with MDF (P = 0.032). In conclusion, fumigators' EEG indices and urinary bromide ion suggested that occupational exposure to MB negatively affected the health of workers, although the workers were asymptomatic.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negative effect of methyl bromide fumigation work on the central nervous system

et al. 2020

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Ethyl Formate as a Methyl Bromide Alternative for Fumigation of Citrus: Efficacy, Fruit Quality, and Workplace Safety

Park

Lee

Yang

et al. 2021

Journal of Economic Entomology

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Ethyl formate (EF) was evaluated as a potential alternative to methyl bromide (MB) for phytosanitary treatment of imported citrus fruit in the Republic of Korea. Planococcus citri (Risso) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), a mealybug with known tolerance against EF and MB, was used as a representative pest to test efficacy of the two fumigants against eggs. In nine commercial-scale refrigerated container (67.5 m3) trials using imported orange, lemon and grapefruit, EF applied at the currently approved dose for citrus (70 g·m-3 at 5°C for 4 h, developed for Aspidiotus excisus Green (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), a species less EF tolerant than P. citri) resulted in 76.9–98.3% mortality of P. citri eggs. The EF treatment did not affect the sugar content or the color of peel and pulp of the treated fruit. When oranges were treated according to the current MB (64 g·m-3 at >5°C for 2 h) or EF treatment guidelines, the concentration of fumigant around the fruit fluctuated between 9.4 and 185.1 ppm for EF and 9.5–203.0 ppm for MB during the 72-h post-fumigation processes (venting [0–2 h], transportation to storage [2–24 h], and storage periods [24–72 h]) with both EF and MB maintained between 10 and 100 ppm during the storage period. Considering the efficacy of EF, its apparent lack of phytotoxicity, and its more manageable threshold limit value for humans (100 ppm EF compared to 1 ppm MB for an 8-h time weighted average exposure), our results suggest that EF may be a promising alternative to MB for the phytosanitary treatment of imported citrus in Korea.

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A Case of Optic Neuropathy Associated with Methyl Bromide Intoxication

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

Negative effect of methyl bromide fumigation work on the central nervous system

Negative effect of methyl bromide fumigation work on the central nervous system

Ethyl Formate as a Methyl Bromide Alternative for Fumigation of Citrus: Efficacy, Fruit Quality, and Workplace Safety

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