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Table 3 Overview of individual agents causing irritant-induced OA or occupational COPD

From: Bronchial asthma and COPD due to irritants in the workplace - an evidence-based approach

Agent CAS

Strength of evidence (modified RCGP three star grading)

Number of studies per agent

References

Acids

   

", acetic

*

3

[108, 157, 158]

64-19-7

", not specified

(*)

2

[30, 37]

", dodecanedioic

-

1

[159]

693-23-2-1

", various

-

1

[35]

", " (hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, nitric, perchloric, sulfuric)

-

1

[160]

", hydrochloric

(*)

6

[35, 99, 161, 162]

7647-01-0

", hydrofluoric

-

1

[163]

7664-39-3

", sulfuric

*

3

[99, 109, 164]

7664-93-9

Acrylates

   

", not specified

-

1

[165]

", alkyl cyanoacrylates

(*)

4

[166169]

", cyanoacrylate glue

-

1

[170]

", " [loctite]

*

4

[44, 169, 171, 172]

53858-53-0

", methacrylates

*

1

[134]

", methyl 2-cyanoacrylate

-

3

[166, 169, 173]

137-05-3

", methylmethacrylate

-

2

[169, 174]

80-62-6

Aluminum salts

*

1

[100]

aluminum fluoride: 7724-18-1

aluminum sulfate: 10043-01-3

2-Aminoethanol [2-ethanolamine]

-

1

[175]

141-43-5

Amino-ethyl-ethanolamine

-

1

[176]

111-41-1

3-Amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole

(*)

1

[177]

16691-43-3

Ammonia

*

6

[41, 178182]

7664-41-7

Ammonium chloride (triple salt)

-

1

[183]

12125-02-9

Ammonium thioglycolate

-

1

[184]

5421-46-5

Amprolium hydrochloride

-

1

[185]

137-88-2

Anhydrides

   

", various

*

2

[186, 187]

", dioctyl phthalate

-

1

[188]

117-81-7

", hexahydrophthalic

-

1

[189]

37226-48-5

", himic

-

1

[190]

2746-19-2

", maleic

-

2

[191, 192]

108-31-6

", methyltetrahydrophthalic

-

1

[193]

26590-20-9

", phthalic anhydride

*[*]

5

[194198]

85-44-9

", pyromellitic dianhydride

-

1

[199]

89-32-7

", tetrachlorophthalic anhydride

*

4

[200], [201], [202], [203]

117-08-8

", benzene-1, 2, 4- tricarboxylic acid 1,2-anhydride [trimellitic anhydride]

**

5

[197, 204207]

552-30-7

Aziridine, polyfunctional

(*)

2

[208, 209]

64265-57-2

Azobisformamide [azodicarbonamide]

*

5

[210214]

123-77-3

Benzalkonium chloride (fumes)

-

2

[215, 216]

8001-54-5

1, 2-Benzisothiazoline-3-one (fumes)

-

1

[217]

2634-33-5

Bisulfite , SO2

-

1

[37]

SO2: 7446-09-5

Bromine, hydrobromic acid

-

1

[218]

Bromochlorodifluoromethane (Halon 1211)

-

1

[101]

353-59-3

Bromotrifluoromethane (Halon 1301)

-

1

[219]

75-63-8

Cadmium (fumes)

*

4

[68, 220222]

7440-43-9

Calcium carbonate [chalk powder]

-

1

[110]

Calcium oxide

-

1

[35]

1305-78-8

Captafol (chlorinated thiocarboximide fungicide)

-

1

[223]

2425-06-1

Carbon black dust

*

1

[224]

1333-86-4

Chloramine T (powder dust)

(*)

5

[225229]

7080-50-4

Chlorhexidine

-

1

[230]

55-56-1

Chlorine

**

11

[35, 165, 231239]

7782-50-5

Chromate (not specified)

(*)

9

[240, 241] [98, 242247]

[see also cement]

Cobalt

**

15

[74, 113, 247259]

7440-48-4

3-(Diamino-amino)propylamine 3-(dimethylamino)propylamine]

(*)

1

[260]

109-55-7

Diamine, aliphatic + cycloaliphatic (hardener) 2855-13-2 (isophorone diamine)

-

1

[261]

Diazonium tetrafluoroborate 14239-22-6

-

2

[262, 263]

Dichlorodiethyl sulfide [mustard gas] +505-60-2

(*)

1

[264]

Dichlorvos (organophosphate)

-

2

[265, 266]

62-73-7

Diethanolamine

-

1

[267]

111-42-2

2-Diethylaminoethanol [diethyl aminoethanol]

(*)

1

[268]

100-37-8

2-Dimethylaminoethanol [dimethyl ethanolamine]

-

2

[269, 270]

108-01-0

Diinitrogen tetraoxide [dinitrogentetroxide]

(*)

1

[271]

10544-72-6

Ethylenediamine [ethylene diamine]

*

6

[168, 184, 272275]

107-15-3

Ethylene oxide

-

2

[276, 277]

75-21-8

Formaldehyde (gas, dust)

*

9

[278283], [284, 285]

50-00-0

Freon, (freon-22)

-

2

[286, 287]

Glutaraldehyde [glutaral]

*[*]

9

[74, 83, 288294]

11-30-8

Hexachlorophene

-

1

[295]

70-30-4

Hexamethylenetetramine

*

3

[184, 296, 297]

100-97-0

Hydrazine

-

1

[30]

302-01-2

Iridium salt

-

1

[298]

Isocyanates, isocyanurate

   

", various (HDI, MDI, TDI)

**

11

[57, 83, 148, 149, 165, 281, 299303]

", Diphenylmethane diisocyanate [MDI]

**

7

[304310]

5873-54-1

", " prepolymers

-

1

[311]

", Hexamethylene diisocyanate [HDI]; plus isodurane Diisocyanate

(*)

3

[312, 313]

822-06-0

", HDI biuret plus

[314]

4035-89-6

", 3-Isocyanatomethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexyl isocyanate [isophorone diisocyanate, IPDI]

-

1

[315]

4098-71-9

", Methyl isocyanate [MIC]

*

6

[316321]

624-83-9

", 1,5-Naphthylene diisocyanate [NDI]

(*)

[46]

[322324]

3173-72-6

", Polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate

*

1

[325]

9016-87-9

", Toluene diisocyanate, TDI 2,4: 584-84-9;

**

12

[35, 125, 165, 326334]

2,6:91-08-7

", Triglycidil isocyanurate

-

1

[335]

2451-62-1

", Triphenylmethane triisocyanate

-

1

[336]

Isothiazolinone

-

1

[337]

55965-84-9

Lauryl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride

-

1

[338]

139-07-1

Metam sodium [methyldithiocarbamate]

-

1

[102]

144-54-7

Methylmercaptan

-

1

[165]

74-93-1

Monoethanolamine

-

1

[184]

141-43-5

N-methylmorpholine

[*]

1

[339]

109-02-4

Nickel sulphate

(*)

5

[246, 340343]

→anhydrous 7786-81-4

→hexahydrate 10101-97-0

Ninhydrin 485-47-2

-

1

[335]

Nitrogen chloride [nitrogen trichloride, trichloramine]

[*]

2

[150, 344]

10025-85-1

Ozone (gassings)

*

1

[345]

10028-15-6

Palladium

-

1

[346]

7440-05-3

Paraphenylenediamine

(*)

1

[347]

106-50-3

Paraquat

*

2

[128, 151]

4685-14-7

Persulfate

   

", not specified

(*)

2

[348, 349]

", ammonium

-

1

[350]

", potassium (7727-21-1) and ammonium peroxydisufate

[*]

5

[351]

(7727-54-0)

", alcalic

-

1

[352]

", Sodium persulfate

-

1

[353]

7775-27-1

", Dipotassium peroxo-peroxodisulfate [potassium persulfate] 7727-21-1

-

1

[354]

", Diammonium peroxodisulfate [ammonium persulfate]

*

4

[355357]

7727-54-0

Phenylglycine acid chloride

*

1

[358]

39478-47-2

Phosgene

-

2

[35, 359]

75-44-5

Piperazine dihydrochloride

*

3

[130, 176, 274]

142-64-3

Platinum salts

**

8

[131, 176, 360365]

(7440-06-4)

Polyethylene

-

3

[366368]

9002-88-4

Polymethyl-methacrylate [plexiglas powder]

-

1

[369]

9011-14-7

Polypropylene, heated to 250 °C

[*]

2

[370, 371]

9003-07-0

Polyvinyl chloride (fume)

*

8

[53, 372376] [377, 378]

9002-86-2

Potassium dichromate

(*)

1

[379]

7778-50-9 ( see also chromium;cement)

Potassium aluminum tetrafluoride

(*)

1

[380]

14484-69-6

Rosin core solder, thermal decomposition [colophony]

*

6

[74, 83, 381383]

8050-09-7

Sodium azide (powder dust)

-

1

[384]

26628-22-8

Sodium iso-nonanoyl oxybenzene sulphonate [SINOS] 123354-92-7

(*)

3

[385387]

Sodium metabisulfite [metabisulfite sodium]

(*)

6

[103, 388392]

7681-57-4

Styrene monomer

(*)

3

[132, 393, 394]

100-42-5

Sulfur dioxide

*[*]

5

[35, 154, 395397]

7446-09-5

Sulfathiazole

-

1

[398]

72-14-0

Terpene (3-carene)

-

2

[399, 400]

13466-78-9

Tetrachloroisophthalonitrile (fungicide)

-

1

[401]

Tetrahydrothiophene

-

1

[402]

110-01-0

Tetramethrin [1-(5-tretrazoly)- 4-guanyl-tetrazene hydrate] 7696-12-0

-

2

[338, 403]

Tributyl tin oxide [carpet fungicide]

-

1

[404]

Triethanolamine

-

1

[175]

102-71-6

Tungsten carbide

-

1

[405]

11130-73-7

Tylosin tartrate

-

1

[406]

Uranium hexafluoride

-

2

[30, 407]

7783-81-5

Urea (fume)

-

1

[104]

57-13-6

Urea formaldehyde foam

-

1

[408]

64869-57-4/

Phenol-formaldehyde resin

9003-35-4

Vanadium 7440-62-2 + divanadium pentoxide

*

5

[84, 409412]

1314-62-1

Zinc (fume)

-

3

[413415]

7440-66-6

Zinc chloride (fume)

-

1

[183]

7646-85-7

Mixed agent

Evidence level

Number of studies per agent

 

Acid fluxes

-

1

[74]

Acrylic acid

-

1

[166]

Airbag content

-

1

[416]

Bleaching agent (fumes)

-

1

[99]

Cement

**

14

[111, 133, 235, 417427]

65997-15-1

Chlorofluorocarbons

(*)

2

[428, 429]

(degradation products)

Cleaning agents (not specified)

*[*]

9

[15, 37, 41, 112, 135, 430433]

", detergents

-

2

[434, 435]

Coffee, green

*

5

[436440]

Cotton (dust, raw)

*[*]

(12)

[48, 114116, 423, 441447]

CNT 750

Cutting oil

-

2

[37, 448]

Diesel exhaust

*

5

[10, 45, 46, 105, 106]

ECG ink

-

2

[449, 450]

Endotoxin (see also cotton dust, swine confinement, poultry confinement, house dust)

*

2

[41, 451]

Environmental tobacco smoke

**

10

[117, 118, 138143, 452, 453]

Floor sealant (aromatic hydrocarbons)

-

1

[30]

Fumigating agent

-

1

[30]

Furan-based binder

-

1

[454]

Grain

**

9

[48, 122124, 455459]

", rice

[*]

1

[460]

Hairdressing chemicals

(*)

1

[281]

Lubricants (not specified)

(*)

2

[10, 57]

Metal coat remover (coating removing chemical)

-

1

[30]

Metal oxide (fume)

-

1

[461]

Metal working fluids [MWF]

-

1

[462]

Oil (spill)

*

1

[126]

Paint (fumes)

*

4

[35, 127, 463, 464]

Paper dust A111

(*)

1

[48]

Perfume agents (research lab)

-

1

[37, 465]

Pesticides (not specified)

*[*]

5

[129, 152, 266, 466, 467]

Polyamines, aliphatic

[*]

1

[468]

Polyester

(*)

2

[469, 470]

Potroom aluminum smelting

*[*]

10

[52, 247, 471478]

Powder paints

(*)

1

[479]

Pyrazolone (see reactive dye)

-

1

[480]

Reactive dyes

*

5

[481485]

Refractory ceramic fibers [RCF]

*

2

[486, 487]

Smoke (fires, pyrolysis products)

*[*]

5

[30, 41, 488490]

", (oil fire and dust storm)

*

1

[491]

", (biomass, indoor)

(*)

1

[492]

Soldering flux (fumes)

*

4

[183, 493495]

Solvents (not specified)

*

4

[10, 48, 496, 497]

Spray paint

-

1

[30]

Tall oil

-

1

[498]

Tear gas

-

4

[499502]

Welding fumes

**

18

[41, 48, 57, 83, 247, 281, 464, 503513]

Work-site or profession

Evidence level

Number of studies per work-site or profession

 

Ceramic production

*[*]

2

[514, 515]

Cleaners

   

Construction work (dust, agent not specified)

**

5

[8, 107, 136, 516, 517]

Farming

   

", (various)

*[*]

9

[119, 120, 144146, 518521]

", animals (pig, beef/veal, dairy, poultry)

**

3

[522524]

Foundry

*[*]

4

[121, 147, 525, 526]

[see also isocyanates (MDI)]

Health care workers

*[*]

4

[23, 527529]

Metallurgical industry workers

*

1

[530]

Poultry confinement

*(*)

4

[153, 531533]

Poultry confinement, slaughtery house

*

3

[534536]

Swine confinement

**

8

[39, 40, 141, 155, 537540]

World Trade Center disaster 2001

**

8

[133, 156, 541546]

  1. [ ] down-grading due to lower quality of clinical investigations relative to the scale of the scientific level of the study.
  2. (*) up-grading due to at least 5 cases without contradictory findings.