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Occupational phosphine exposure in Indian workers.
U K Misra1, S K Bhargava, D Nag
1Department of Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.
Toxicology Letters
|September 1, 1988
Summary
Occupational phosphine exposure in grain fumigation workers caused transient, mild symptoms like cough and headache. Long-term follow-up is recommended to assess chronic health effects from this pesticide exposure.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Environmental Toxicology
- Pesticide Exposure
Background:
- Aluminum phosphide is widely used for stored grain fumigation.
- Workers involved in fumigation face potential exposure to phosphine gas.
- Understanding the health impacts of this occupational exposure is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the health effects of occupational phosphine exposure in grain fumigation workers.
- To correlate clinical symptoms and environmental phosphine concentrations.
- To assess nerve conduction velocities in exposed workers.
Main Methods:
- A clinical and environmental study was conducted on 22 grain fumigation workers.
- Workers' symptoms and physical signs were recorded post-fumigation.
- Environmental phosphine concentrations were measured.
- Motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities were assessed.
Main Results:
- Workers reported transient, mild to moderate symptoms including cough, dyspnea, chest tightness, headache, giddiness, numbness, lethargy, anorexia, and epigastric pain.
- Abnormal physical signs were infrequent (bilateral diffuse rhonchi, absent ankle reflex in one worker each).
- Nerve conduction velocities (motor and sensory) were within normal limits.
- Phosphine concentrations ranged from 0.17 to 2.11 ppm.
Conclusions:
- Occupational phosphine exposure in grain fumigation is associated with transient, mild health symptoms.
- Current exposure levels did not appear to cause significant neurological deficits based on nerve conduction studies.
- Long-term follow-up is recommended to fully understand potential chronic health effects.