Asthmagen?

Critical assessments of the evidence for agents implicated in occupational asthma

First published 1997, reprinted with amendments 1998, 2001

SECTION A: Forword ....................................................................... 3

SECTION B: Introduction................................................................. 4 Purpose of the document................................................................................................. 4

Terminology and toxicological mechanisms .................................................................. 5

Methods for identification of asthmagens....................................................................... 6

Other risk management issues ........................................................................................ 7

The EU classification criteria for respiratory sensitisation............................................. 7

Comments regarding the use of R42............................................................................... 8

References..................................................................................................................... 10

SECTION C: The following substances were considered to meet the new EU criteria, revised in 1996, for classification as a

......................................................................................................... 11 respiratory sensitiser (a cause of asthma) and labelling with R42

C1: AZODICARBONAMIDE...................................................................................... 11

C2: CARMINE ............................................................................................................. 13

C3: CASTOR BEAN DUST......................................................................................... 15

C4: CHLORAMINE-T ................................................................................................. 18

C5: CHLOROPLATINATES AND OTHER HALOGENOPLATINATES................ 21

C6: CHROMIUM (VI) COMPOUNDS ....................................................................... 23

C7: COBALT (METAL AND COMPOUNDS) .......................................................... 26

C8: COW EPITHELIUM/URINE ................................................................................ 28

C9: CRUSTACEAN PROTEINS................................................................................. 30

C10: DIAZONIUM SALTS ......................................................................................... 33

C11: ETHYLENEDIAMINE........................................................................................ 34

C12: GLUTARALDEHYDE........................................................................................ 36

C13: SOME HARDWOOD DUSTS ............................................................................ 38

C14: ISOCYANATES.................................................................................................. 43

C15: LABORATORY ANIMAL EXCRETA/SECRETA ........................................... 46

C16: LATEX................................................................................................................. 49

C17: MALEIC ANHYDRIDE...................................................................................... 55

C18: METHYL-TETRAHYDROPHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE .................................... 57

C19: PAPAIN ............................................................................................................... 60

C20: PENICILLINS...................................................................................................... 62

C21: PERSULPHATES................................................................................................ 65

C22: PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE ................................................................................. 69

C23: PIPERAZINE....................................................................................................... 71

C24: SOME REACTIVE DYES .................................................................................. 73

C25: ROSIN-BASED SOLDER FLUX FUME ........................................................... 77

C26: SOME SOFTWOOD DUSTS.............................................................................. 83

C27: SPIRAMYCIN ..................................................................................................... 85

C28: TETRACHLOROPHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE.................................................... 87

C29: TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE............................................................................ 90

C30: COFFEE BEAN DUST........................................................................................ 92

1

C31: EGG PROTEIN.................................................................................................... 96

C32: FISH PROTEINS................................................................................................. 99

C33: HENNA.............................................................................................................. 101

C34: NICKEL SULPHATE........................................................................................ 103

C35: OPIATES ........................................................................................................... 107

C36: STORAGE MITES ............................................................................................ 110

C37: ALPHA AMYLASES........................................................................................ 114

C38: BROMELAINS.................................................................................................. 117

C39: CEPHALOSPORINS......................................................................................... 120

C40: COCKROACH MATERIAL............................................................................. 122

C41: FLOUR DUST ................................................................................................... 126

C42: ISPAGHULA ..................................................................................................... 129

C43: PSYLLIUM........................................................................................................ 131

C44: SOYBEAN DUST ............................................................................................. 134

C45: SUBTILISINS.................................................................................................... 139

SECTION D: The following substances were considered NOT to meet the new EU criteria, revised in 1996, for classification as a

....................................................................................................... 142 respiratory sensitiser (a cause of asthma) and labelling with R42

D1: FORMALDEHYDE ............................................................................................ 142

D2: HYDRALAZINE................................................................................................. 147

D3: METHYL METHACRYLATE ........................................................................... 149

D4: DIETHYLAMINOETHANOL............................................................................ 151

D5: DIMETHYLAMINOETHANOL ........................................................................ 153

D6: ETHANOLAMINE.............................................................................................. 155

D7: METABISULPHITE ........................................................................................... 157

D8: STYRENE............................................................................................................ 159

D9: ACETIC ANHYDRIDE ...................................................................................... 161

D10: CYANOACRYLATES...................................................................................... 162

D11: GUAR GUM...................................................................................................... 164

D12: SENNA .............................................................................................................. 167

D13: STAINLESS STEEL WELDING FUME.......................................................... 169

D14: TEA DUST ........................................................................................................ 173

D15: TOBACCO LEAF ............................................................................................. 177

SECTION E: Substances on the ACTS/WATCH programme on

account of concerns over respiratory senstisation .................. 181

2

SECTION A: Forword In HSE the process of critical appraisal of toxicological information has been undertaken for a number of years within regulatory programmes associated with the classification of industrial chemicals and the setting of occupational exposure limits. The resulting assessments provide the basis for the individual entries in this compendium. It should be noted that when full information regarding the potential of a substance to cause asthma has already been (or is expected to be) published by HSE elsewhere, eg in a criteria document or risk assessment document, the compendium entry consists of a summary of that information, together with a reference to the original publication.

Overall, it is clear that all the relevant information available for each substance needs to be c