Abstract
Bronchial provocation studies on 15 workers occupationally exposed to formaldehyde are described. The results show that formaldehyde exposure can cause asthmatic reactions, and suggest that these are sometimes due to hypersensitivity and sometimes to a direct irritant effect. Three workers had classical occupational asthma caused by formaldehyde fumes, which was likely to be due to hypersensitivity, with late asthmatic reactions following formaldehyde exposure. Six workers developed immediate asthmatic reactions, which were likely to be due to a direct irritant effect as the reactions were shorter in duration than those seen after soluble allergen exposure and were closely related to histamine reactivity. The breathing zone concentrations of formaldehyde required to elicit these irritant reactions (mean 4.8 mg/m3) were higher than those encountered in buildings recently insulated with urea formaldehyde foam, but within levels sometimes found in industry.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bernardini P., Carelli G., Valentino R. Formaldehyde in insulated housing. Lancet. 1981 Aug 15;2(8242):375–375. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(81)90702-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Breysse P. A. The health cost of 'tight' homes. JAMA. 1981 Jan 16;245(3):267–268. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cockcroft D. W., Hoeppner V. H., Dolovich J. Occupational asthma caused by cedar urea formaldehyde particle board. Chest. 1982 Jul;82(1):49–53. doi: 10.1378/chest.82.1.49. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cockcroft D. W., Ruffin R. E., Dolovich J., Hargreave F. E. Allergen-induced increase in non-allergic bronchial reactivity. Clin Allergy. 1977 Nov;7(6):503–513. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01481.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Efremov G. G. Sostoianie verkhnikh dykhatel'nykh putei u rabochikh formal'degidnykh proizvodstv. Zh Ushn Nos Gorl Bolezn. 1970 Sep-Oct;30(5):11–15. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Frigas E., Filley W. V., Reed C. E. Asthma induced by dust from urea-formaldehyde foam insulating material. Chest. 1981 Jun;79(6):706–707. doi: 10.1378/chest.79.6.706. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Harries M. G., Parkes P. E., Lessof M. H., Orr T. S. Role of bronchial irritant receptors in asthma. Lancet. 1981 Jan 3;1(8210):5–7. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(81)90113-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hendrick D. J., Lane D. J. Occupational formalin asthma. Br J Ind Med. 1977 Feb;34(1):11–18. doi: 10.1136/oem.34.1.11. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hendrick D. J., Rando R. J., Lane D. J., Morris M. J. Formaldehyde asthma: challenge exposure levels and fate after five years. J Occup Med. 1982 Nov;24(11):893–897. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Newhouse M. T. UFFI dust: nonspecific irritant only? Chest. 1982 Oct;82(4):511–512. doi: 10.1378/chest.82.4.511-a. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Popa V., Teculescu D., Stănescu D., Gavrilescu N. Bronchial asthma and asthmatic bronchitis determined by simple chemicals. Dis Chest. 1969 Nov;56(5):395–402. doi: 10.1378/chest.56.5.395. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sakula A. Formalin asthma in hospital laboratory staff. Lancet. 1975 Oct 25;2(7939):816–816. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(75)80039-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zammit-Tabona M., Sherkin M., Kijek K., Chan H., Chan-Yeung M. Asthma caused by diphenylmethane diisocyanate in foundry workers. Clinical, bronchial provocation, and immunologic studies. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1983 Aug;128(2):226–230. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1983.128.2.226. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- de VRIES, GOEI J. T., BOOY-NOORD H., ORIE N. G. Changes during 24 hours in the lung function and histamine hyperreactivity of the bronchial tree in asthmatic and bronchitic patients. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1962;20:93–101. doi: 10.1159/000229248. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]