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Aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents in chemically sensitive patients
1Department of Allergy, Pekin Union Medical College Hospital, Beijin, China.
Boletin De La Asociacion Medica De Puerto Rico
|July 1, 1991
Summary
Chemically sensitive individuals often have aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents in their body load. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry detected these solvents in 85% of patients tested.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Chemical sensitivity is a condition affecting a growing number of individuals.
- Aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents are common environmental contaminants.
- Understanding the body burden of these solvents is crucial for assessing health risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if chemically sensitive individuals have aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents in their total body load.
- To quantify the blood levels of specific aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents in this population.
Main Methods:
- Blood samples were collected from 85 chemically sensitive patients.
- Aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents were measured using a purging trap method with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).
- Seven specific solvents were analyzed: n-pentane, 2,2-dimethylbutane, cyclopentane, 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane, n-hexane, and n-heptane.
Main Results:
- Aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents were detected in 85% of the chemically sensitive patients.
- The average concentration of detected solvents ranged from 1 to 299 ppb.
- The most frequently detected solvents were 2-methylpentane (68.1%), 3-methylpentane (62.5%), and n-hexane (61.1%).
Conclusions:
- Chemically sensitive individuals commonly exhibit a body burden of aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents.
- The presence and levels of these solvents may be linked to chemical sensitivity.
- Further research is warranted to explore the etiological relationship between solvent exposure and chemical sensitivity.
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