Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Industrial Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Industrial Medicine
. 1990 Aug;47(8):553–558. doi: 10.1136/oem.47.8.553

Delayed eye and other consequences from exposure to methyl isocyanate: 93% follow up of exposed and unexposed cohorts in Bhopal.

N Andersson 1, M K Ajwani 1, S Mahashabde 1, M K Tiwari 1, M K Muir 1, V Mehra 1, K Ashiru 1, C D Mackenzie 1
PMCID: PMC1035230  PMID: 2393636

Abstract

A follow up study three years after exposure to methyl isocyanate in 93% of exposed survivors and "control" residents in 10 Bhopali communities showed an excess of eye irritation, eyelid infection, cataract, and a decrease in visual acuity among the exposed people. Breathlessness was twice as common in the heavily exposed clusters as those with lower exposure, a trend that could not be explained by different age or smoking patterns (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.36-3.08). Case referent analysis of outpatient attendances at Bhopal Eye Hospital, considering patients with severe refractive errors and astigmatism as "controls," showed a 40% increased risk of trachoma, 36% increased risk of other lid infections, and 45% increased risk of irritant symptoms among previously exposed people. "Bhopal eye syndrome" may thus include full resolution of the initial interpalpebral superficial erosion, a subsequent increased risk of eye infections, hyperresponsive phenomena (irritation, watering, and phlyctens), and possibly cataracts. It remains to be confirmed whether this reflects a more generalised disease as a consequence of previous exposure to methyl isocyanate or whether it is only the eye that is affected.

Full text

PDF
553

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Andersson N., Kerr Muir M., Mehra V., Salmon A. G. Exposure and response to methyl isocyanate: results of a community based survey in Bhopal. Br J Ind Med. 1988 Jul;45(7):469–475. doi: 10.1136/oem.45.7.469. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Andersson N., Kerr Muir M., Salmon A. G., Wells C. J., Brown R. B., Purnell C. J., Mittal P. C., Mehra V. Bhopal disaster: eye follow-up and analytical chemistry. Lancet. 1985 Mar 30;1(8431):761–762. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)91308-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Andersson N., Muir M. K., Mehra V. Bhopal eye. Lancet. 1984 Dec 22;2(8417-8418):1481–1481. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)91685-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gassert T., MacKenzie C., Kerr Muir M., Andersson N., Salmon A. G. Long term pathology of lung, eye, and other organs following acute exposure of rats to methyl isocyanate. Lancet. 1986 Dec 13;2(8520):1403–1403. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)92050-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kamat S. R., Mahashur A. A., Tiwari A. K., Potdar P. V., Gaur M., Kolhatkar V. P., Vaidya P., Parmar D., Rupwate R., Chatterjee T. S. Early observations on pulmonary changes and clinical morbidity due to the isocyanate gas leak at Bhopal. J Postgrad Med. 1985 Apr;31(2):63–72. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Karol M. H., Kamat S. R. The antibody response to methyl isocyanate: experimental and clinical findings. Bull Eur Physiopathol Respir. 1987 Nov-Dec;23(6):591–597. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Karol M. H. Respiratory effects of inhaled isocyanates. Crit Rev Toxicol. 1986;16(4):349–379. doi: 10.3109/10408448609037467. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kovacs J. A., Gill V., Swan J. C., Ognibene F., Shelhamer J., Parrillo J. E., Masur H. Prospective evaluation of a monoclonal antibody in diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Lancet. 1986 Jul 5;2(8497):1–3. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)92555-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MANTEL N., HAENSZEL W. Statistical aspects of the analysis of data from retrospective studies of disease. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1959 Apr;22(4):719–748. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mergler D., Blain L., Lagacé J. P. Solvent related colour vision loss: an indicator of neural damage? Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1987;59(4):313–321. doi: 10.1007/BF00405275. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Oleinick A., Mantel N. Family studies in systemic lupus erythematosus. II. ortality among siblings and offspring of index cases with a statistical appendix concerning life table analysis. J Chronic Dis. 1970 Feb;22(8):617–624. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(70)90038-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Salmon A. G., Kerr Muir M., Andersson N. Acute toxicity of methyl isocyanate: a preliminary study of the dose response for eye and other effects. Br J Ind Med. 1985 Dec;42(12):795–798. doi: 10.1136/oem.42.12.795. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Industrial Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES