Pentachlorophenol and the peripheral nervous system: a longitudinal study in exposed workers.

Abstract

A longitudinal study was performed to examine whether chronic occupational exposure to pentachlorophenol (PCP) or its compounds causes measurable alterations in the conduction velocity in peripheral nerves as an "adverse effect." In total, the results of nerve conduction velocity (NCV) determinations in 1980 and 1984 in 10 subjects (7 men, 3 women) who had been exposed for an average of 16 years (range 4-24) were available. The concentrations of PCP in the air at the workplace varied between 0 3 and 180 yg/m3 and were thus below the maximum allowed concentration (MAK value) of 500 yg/m3. The biological monitoring carried out showed the following results: PCP in the serum: 38-1270 yg/l; PCP in the urine: 8-1224 pg/l. Compared with the upper normal limits (PCP in the serum 150 pg/l, PCP in the urine 60 pg/l), distinct internal exposure to PCP has resulted in some of the employees. Determinations of the NCV of motor and sensory nerve fibres (ulnar, median, peroneal, and sural nerve) were always in the normal range. A significant difference in the NCV for the period 1980-4 could not be detected. In addition, the correlation analyses did not show any hints of "dose-effect relations." It is concluded that occupational exposure to PCP over several years in the concentrations observed probably do not lead to any adverse effects on the peripheral nervous system. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) and its sodium salt are attaining increasing importance in industrial medicine and in environmental hygiene because of their wide distribution in preservatives and pesticides.Investigations on the toxicity of PCP were carried out more than 40 years ago.

Chlorophenol exposure in harbor workers exposed to river silt aerosols

“…The urinary PCP concentrations in our study were in the range found in the US general population (median 1.2 mg/g creatinine) [Hill et al, 1995b] as well as below the levels found in the early 90s in the Germany general population (2.15 mg/g creatinine) [Angerer et al, 1992b]. Therefore, the exposure levels observed in the harbor workers under study are within levels from the general population and well below levels found in earlier studies among subjects with workplace exposure to PCP [Triebig et al, 1987;Pekari et al, 1991].…”

Removal and detoxification of pentahalogenated phenols using a photocatalytically induced enzymatic process

“…The Material Safety Data Sheets for pentachlorophenol and pentabromophenol note their aquatic toxicity and moderate bioconcentration factors as up to 10 4 for PCP and 10 2 for PBP [ 7 , 8 ]. However, the brominated flame retardants are similarly documented regarding their human health concerns as endocrine disruptors [ 9 ], and the chlorinated phenols are documented as affecting the nervous system [ 10 ], and with long exposure potentially causing cancer [ 11 , 12 ].…”