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Related Experiment Videos

Hexachlorobenzene episode in Turkey.

A Gocmen1, H A Peters, D J Cripps

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Hacettepe, Ankara, Turkey.

Biomedical and Environmental Sciences : BES
|March 1, 1989
PubMed
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Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) fungicide exposure caused porphyria in thousands, leading to skin issues and other health problems. Long-term follow-up shows persistent dermatologic and neurologic symptoms in survivors.

Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Dermatology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) fungicide contamination of wheat in Southeast Anatolia (1955-1959) led to widespread porphyria.
  • This environmental exposure resulted in severe dermatologic conditions like "black sore" (kara yara) and high mortality in infants ("pink sore" or pembe yara).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a long-term follow-up study of individuals exposed to hexachlorobenzene (HCB)-induced porphyria.
  • To assess the persistent dermatologic, neurologic, and orthopedic sequelae decades after initial exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Follow-up assessment of 252 patients 20-30 years post-HCB exposure.
  • Clinical examination for dermatologic, neurologic, and orthopedic signs.
  • Analysis of urine and stool porphyrin levels.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Measurement of HCB levels in human milk samples from affected mothers.

    • Main Results:

    • Patients exhibited significant long-term sequelae including facial/hand scarring (83.7%), hyperpigmentation (65%), hypertrichosis (44.8%), and painless arthritis (70.2%).
    • Elevated porphyrin levels were detected in 17 patients.
    • HCB was detected in human milk of affected mothers (0.51 ppm vs. 0.07 ppm in controls).

    Conclusions:

    • Long-term exposure to hexachlorobenzene (HCB) results in persistent and diverse health issues, including significant dermatologic and orthopedic problems.
    • Despite maternal HCB exposure and porphyria, offspring appear normal after three decades.