In order for us to study the way that poisons affect humans, the poison must first enter our bodies. The route of entry varies from substance to substance. Substances can be inhaled, absorbed through the skin, injected or ingested. Many people have occupations which involve daily contact with poisons. Because of these types of jobs, we need people and machines to monitor this intake of toxic chemicals and the harm that is caused as a result. Occupational toxicology was created specifically to study and hopefully prevent contact with toxic substances in the workplace. Occupational toxicology is vital to creating a safe and healthy workplace for everyone.
Miners have some of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. Not only are they in constant danger at work, surrounded by intense equipment and dangerous positions within mines, but even years after they leave their jobs they're still at risk. The chemicals and compounds that they come in contact with have the potential to threaten their health long term. Sulpher miners in Indonesia risk their lives and lungs to feed their families.
As Paracelsus said, everything is a poison, so how is it that we can be constantly interacting with poisons without becoming ill? Some substances can pass through our bodies in small doses without affecting our bodies negatively. In this situation, our body's dose-response has not reached the threshold at which the substance becomes toxic. The dose-response is the relationship between the amount of a substance and the resulting response of the body. Asbestos is a commonly known material, famous for causing health issues when inhaled. It is common in old buildings in homes and is often an issue for people working in construction. People exposed to too high of a dose of asbestos can develop cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. As a result of the high level of toxicity of asbestos, it has become a priority to educate workers who have to be in contact with it, and to eliminate it from homes and work places altogether.
The scale used to measure the toxicity of a substance is called the LD50. The LD50 is the level of a dose of a substance it takes to kill 50% of animals the substance has been given to. Botulinum toxin has the highest level of LD50. The lower the number, the more toxic the chemical is. Botulinum has an LD50 of 0.00001 mg/kg. As a comparison, ethyl alcohol (booze) has an LD50 of 10,000 mg/kg.
So what chemicals did I find in my workplace?? Well to begin, I work at Printing Services. I typically make t-shirts, so I looked at some of the chemicals that we use in this process. About a year ago we got a product from Brother called Pretreat, which is used to treat shirts prior to printing on them. I looked for a list of ingredients but only found a label telling me that contact could give me inflammation (which has actually happened to me after accidental contact from a spill) and that ingestion may result in vomiting and diarrhea (which has not happened to me...YET). A quick google search taught me that the ingredients are: 45-75% water, 10-20% inorganic nitrate and 5-15% a "trade secret". That's a little concerning?
I also found a bottle of pretty common cleaner called Mr. Muscle and a Brother ink cartridge.
Miners have some of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. Not only are they in constant danger at work, surrounded by intense equipment and dangerous positions within mines, but even years after they leave their jobs they're still at risk. The chemicals and compounds that they come in contact with have the potential to threaten their health long term. Sulpher miners in Indonesia risk their lives and lungs to feed their families.
As Paracelsus said, everything is a poison, so how is it that we can be constantly interacting with poisons without becoming ill? Some substances can pass through our bodies in small doses without affecting our bodies negatively. In this situation, our body's dose-response has not reached the threshold at which the substance becomes toxic. The dose-response is the relationship between the amount of a substance and the resulting response of the body. Asbestos is a commonly known material, famous for causing health issues when inhaled. It is common in old buildings in homes and is often an issue for people working in construction. People exposed to too high of a dose of asbestos can develop cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. As a result of the high level of toxicity of asbestos, it has become a priority to educate workers who have to be in contact with it, and to eliminate it from homes and work places altogether.
The scale used to measure the toxicity of a substance is called the LD50. The LD50 is the level of a dose of a substance it takes to kill 50% of animals the substance has been given to. Botulinum toxin has the highest level of LD50. The lower the number, the more toxic the chemical is. Botulinum has an LD50 of 0.00001 mg/kg. As a comparison, ethyl alcohol (booze) has an LD50 of 10,000 mg/kg.
So what chemicals did I find in my workplace?? Well to begin, I work at Printing Services. I typically make t-shirts, so I looked at some of the chemicals that we use in this process. About a year ago we got a product from Brother called Pretreat, which is used to treat shirts prior to printing on them. I looked for a list of ingredients but only found a label telling me that contact could give me inflammation (which has actually happened to me after accidental contact from a spill) and that ingestion may result in vomiting and diarrhea (which has not happened to me...YET). A quick google search taught me that the ingredients are: 45-75% water, 10-20% inorganic nitrate and 5-15% a "trade secret". That's a little concerning?
I also found a bottle of pretty common cleaner called Mr. Muscle and a Brother ink cartridge.
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| Mr. Muscle Cleaner |
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| Top: Brother Pretreat Label Middle: Pretreat Bottle Bottom:Brother Pretreat Warning Label |
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| Brother Ink Cartridge |
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