A TERATOGEN (like Thalidomide) CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS

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Beacon Pharmaceuticals, July 2001

The chemicals which are most commonly used in the latex product manufacture and which precipitate type IV allergic reactions are shown below:

Dithiocarbamates zinc dimethyl dithiocarbamate

zinc diethyl dithiocarbamate

zinc dibutyl dithiocarbamate

zinc pentamethylene dithiocarbamate

Thiazoles 2-mercapto benzothiazole

zinc 2-mercapto benzothiazole

N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazyl sulphonamide

Thiurams dipentamethylene thiuram tetrasulphide

tetramethyl thiuram disulphide

Xanthates sodium isopropyl xanthate

TETRAMETHYLTHIURAM DISULFIDE

Known Teratogen.

A teratogen is any medication, chemical, infectious disease, or environmental agent that might interfere with the normal development of a foetus and result in the loss of a pregnancy , a birth defect , or a pregnancy complication . There are a variety of teratogens that are relatively common. Some examples are listed, but there are other teratogens which are not on this list.



* Medications . Examples include seizure medications (such as Dilantin, Valporic Acid, Tegretol), Accutane, thalidomide , chemotherapy, lithium.

* Environmental Agents, such as organic solvents, chemicals, lead, anaesthetic gases, organic mercury.

* Infectious Diseases. Examples include rubella , cytomegalovirus , genital herpes , toxoplasmosis , Fifth disease , chickenpox .

* Other, including diabetes , radiation, hyperthermia (high fever).

*USES:

This compound is used as a fungicide, bacteriostat, pesticide, rubber vulcanization accelerator, scabicide, seed disinfectant, animal repellent, insecticide, lube oil additive and wood preservative.

SAX TOXICITY EVALUATION:

THR: Poison by ingestion and intraperitoneal routes. An experimental

carcinogen, tumorigen and teratogen. Mutagenic data. Affects the

human pulmonary system. A mild allergen and irritant.

-HANDLING PROCEDURES

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*ACUTE/CHRONIC HAZARDS:

This compound is toxic by ingestion and inhalation [031,062]. It is

an irritant of the skin and mucous membranes [031,151,269,295]. It is also

an irritant of the eyes and respiratory tract [099,269]. When heated to

decomposition it emits toxic fumes of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur

oxides and nitrogen oxides [058,269,371]. It may cause lacrimation

*SYMPTOMS:

Symptoms of exposure to this compound include reddening and swelling of

the eyes and skin, blisters, tearing, runny nose, dry throat and chest dis-

comfort [058]. Inhalation may cause sneezing and coughing [058,346]. Other

symptoms include irritation of the skin, eyes, mucous membranes and respiratory

tract [269]. Exposure may cause conjunctivitis, rhinitis, erythema, urticaria,

intolerance to alcohol, palpitation, rapid pulse, dizziness and hypotension

[346]. It may also cause vasodilation of the face and neck, tachycardia,

tachypnea, cardiac arrhythmias, pallor, hypertension, convulsions, myocardial

infarction, optic neuritis, peripheral neuropathy, hypersensitivity hepatitis,

fatigue, sleepiness, headache, chromosomal aberration (rare) and damage in

the nerve cells of the cerbral cortex [430]. Other symptoms include clinical

and subclinical liver dysfunction and asthenia, thoracic pain, epistaxis,

dermal lesions, myocardial dystrophia and enlargement of the thyroid [395].

It may cause gastrointestinal disorders, unpleasant taste, lowered blood

pressure, reduced potency, mild confusion, lethargy, impaired memory span,

bizarre behavior, emotional lability, ataxia, hallucinations, uncontrollable

arm movements, irritability, speech difficulty, drowsiness, loss of libido,

psychoses (rare), Parkinsonian tremor, peripheral neuritis, neuropsychiatric

effects, anorexia, weight loss, emesis, lethargy, coma, delirium, catatonia,

suppression of the tendon reflexes, hypotonia, flaccid paralysis and death

[151]. It may also cause hyperventilation, sweating, breathlessness, air

hunger, chest pain, central nervous system depression, rash, optic neuropathy

and psychotic behavior [301]. Allergic reactions may occur [026,051,099].

Pulmonary damage may also occur [051]. Diarrhea and allergic eczema have

been reported [371]. Lacrimation, photophobia and skin sensitization are

also symptoms of exposure [401].

Inhalation after alcohol consumption may lead to nausea, vomiting and

flushing [058,301]. It may also cause collapse [042,051]. After alcohol

ingestion, symptoms may also include gastric pain, hyperirritability, fine

tremor of the fingers and tongue, elevated blood pressure, slight fever,

moderate lymphopenia; albumin, urobilinogen and numerous casts in the urine;

liver enlargement, ulcers of the oral cavity and goiters [173].