Vascular changes in workers exposed to carbon disulfide

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Carbon disulfide (CS2) is a solvent used in the viscose industry.
• Occupational exposure limits exist to prevent adverse health effects.
• The impact of CS2 exposure below current thresholds on vascular health requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of low-level occupational CS2 exposure on arterial structure and function.
• To assess impacts on heart rate, blood pressure, and lipid profiles.
• To determine if CS2 exposure below the threshold limit value (31 mg/m3) causes adverse vascular changes.

Main Methods:

• 85 male viscose industry workers and 35 controls were studied.
• Personal active sampling measured CS2 concentrations (2.34–32.4 mg/m3).
• Arterial distensibility, compliance, elasticity, heart rate, blood pressure, and lipids were assessed using echography and waveform analysis.

Main Results:

• Exposed workers showed significantly lower common carotid artery distensibility and higher heart rate compared to controls.
• These differences persisted after adjusting for confounding factors like age, BMI, and smoking.
• No significant effects of CS2 were observed on blood pressure, common carotid artery intima-media thickness, global arterial indices, or lipid profiles.

Conclusions:

• Occupational exposure to CS2 at concentrations below the current threshold limit value can induce alterations in common carotid artery elastic properties.
• Functional changes in the vessel wall, particularly in specific vascular territories, may occur before detectable biochemical or clinical abnormalities.
• These findings suggest a need to re-evaluate current occupational exposure limits for CS2.