Metal fume fever: characterization of clinical and plasma IL-6 responses in controlled human exposures to zinc oxide fume at and below the Threshold Limit Value.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Beckett WS ; Chen LC ; Falcone G ; Fine JM ; Gordon T ; Kinney P
• Description:
  The clinical effects of exposure to zinc-oxide (1314132) at or below the 5mg/m3 threshold limit value were investigated and an attempt was made to track any rise in circulating IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) Subjects included 13 healthy nonsmoking volunteers with a mean age of 30.8 years. Subjects were exposed to zinc-oxide fume at 2.5mg/m3 or 5mg/m3, or to air for 2 hours. At 6 to 12 hours after exposure, the mean maximum rise in oral temperature was 1.4+/- 0.3 degrees-F after 5mg/m3, 1.2+/-0.3 after 2.5mg/m3 and 0.6+/-0.5 degrees after air exposure. Plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly elevated after exposure to 5mg/m3 zinc-oxide. Mean IL-6 values at preexposure and at 3 and 6 hours after exposure were 1.9, 2.8, and 2.9, respectively, on the air day and 1.6, 4.4, and 6.4 on the 5mg/m3 zinc-oxide day. Zinc-oxide exposure did not significantly affect plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor. Total symptom scores peaked 9 hours after the 5mg/m3 zinc-oxide exposure. Myalgia, cough, and fatigue were the predominant symptoms reported. The authors conclude that inhalation of zinc-oxide for 2 hours at the current threshold limit value of 5mg/m3 produced fever and symptoms along with elevations in plasma IL-6 levels. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Hazardous Substances Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Zinc Compounds
• Keywords:
  NIOSH-Publication; NIOSH-Grant; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Metal-fume-fever; Respiratory-system-disorders; Zinc-compounds; Inhalation-studies; Humans; Toxic-effects
• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Connecticut ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  39
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00239074
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 1997 Aug; 39(8):722-726
• Contact Point Address:
  Jonathan M. Fine, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Section, Norwalk Hospital, Norwalk, CT 06856
• CAS Registry Number:
  Zinc (CAS RN 7440-66-6) ; Zinc oxide (ZnO) (CAS RN 1314-13-2)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1997
• NORA Priority Area:
  Pulmonary System Disorders
• Performing Organization:
  Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19920930
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  19950929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/247911/cdc_247911_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]