Introduction
Work-related asthma (WRA) including irritant-induced occupational asthma (OA)
Subcategories of irritant-induced OA | Exposure concentration | Duration of exposure |
---|---|---|
Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) | Extremely high, > OEL | ≤1 day |
Not so sudden onset of irritant-induced OA | Moderate, around OEL | >1 day <4 months |
Low dose irritant-induced OA | Low, below OEL | >4 months |
Frequency of OA
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to occupational exposure
Background and objective
Methodology
Definitions used
Information sources and selection criteria
Occupational respiratory irritants
Reference list screening
Occupational diseases statistics
Conditions
Methodological selection criteria
Assessment of study quality
Results
Overview on publications retrieved
Diagnostic aspects
Irritant-induced OA as outcome
Occupational COPD as outcome
Agents, number of studies (n) | Work-sites or professions, number of studies (n) |
---|---|
○ ammonia (1) ○ cement dust (4) ○ chlorine (1) ○ cleaning agent (1) ○ mustard gas (1) ○ diesel exhaust (2) ○ environmental tobacco smoke(1) ○ isocyanate (1) ○ smoke (1) ○ sulphur dioxide (1) | ○ construction work (3) ○ swine confinement (1) ○ farming (1) ○ foundry (1) ○ metallurgical industry workers (1) |
Evidence level of the literature
Strength of evidence per agent, work-site or profession
Agent CAS | Strength of evidence (modified RCGP three star grading) | Number of studies per agent | References |
---|---|---|---|
Acids
| |||
", acetic |
*
|
3
| |
64-19-7 | |||
", not specified |
(*)
|
2
| |
", dodecanedioic |
-
|
1
| [159] |
693-23-2-1 | |||
", various |
-
|
1
| [35] |
", " (hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, nitric, perchloric, sulfuric) |
-
|
1
| [160] |
", hydrochloric |
(*)
|
6
| |
7647-01-0 | |||
", hydrofluoric |
-
|
1
| [163] |
7664-39-3 | |||
", sulfuric |
*
|
3
| |
7664-93-9 | |||
Acrylates
| |||
", not specified |
-
|
1
| [165] |
", alkyl cyanoacrylates |
(*)
|
4
| |
", cyanoacrylate glue |
-
|
1
| [170] |
", " [loctite] |
*
|
4
| |
53858-53-0 | |||
", methacrylates |
*
|
1
| [134] |
", methyl 2-cyanoacrylate |
-
|
3
| |
137-05-3 | |||
", methylmethacrylate |
-
|
2
| |
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
| |
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
| |
", dioctyl phthalate |
-
|
1
| [188] |
117-81-7 | |||
", hexahydrophthalic |
-
|
1
| [189] |
37226-48-5 | |||
", himic |
-
|
1
| [190] |
2746-19-2 | |||
", maleic |
-
|
2
| |
108-31-6 | |||
", methyltetrahydrophthalic |
-
|
1
| [193] |
26590-20-9 | |||
", phthalic anhydride |
*[*]
|
5
| |
85-44-9 | |||
", pyromellitic dianhydride |
-
|
1
| [199] |
89-32-7 | |||
", tetrachlorophthalic anhydride |
*
|
4
| |
117-08-8 | |||
", benzene-1, 2, 4- tricarboxylic acid 1,2-anhydride [trimellitic anhydride] |
**
|
5
| |
552-30-7 | |||
Aziridine, polyfunctional
|
(*)
|
2
| |
64265-57-2 | |||
Azobisformamide [azodicarbonamide]
|
*
|
5
| |
123-77-3 | |||
Benzalkonium chloride (fumes) |
-
|
2
| |
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
| |
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
| |
7080-50-4 | |||
Chlorhexidine
|
-
|
1
| [230] |
55-56-1 | |||
Chlorine
|
**
|
11
| |
7782-50-5 | |||
Chromate (not specified) |
(*)
|
9
| |
[see also cement] | |||
Cobalt
|
**
|
15
| |
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
| |
Dichlorodiethyl sulfide [mustard gas] +505-60-2 |
(*)
|
1
| [264] |
Dichlorvos (organophosphate) |
-
|
2
| |
62-73-7 | |||
Diethanolamine
|
-
|
1
| [267] |
111-42-2 | |||
2-Diethylaminoethanol [diethyl aminoethanol] |
(*)
|
1
| [268] |
100-37-8 | |||
2-Dimethylaminoethanol [dimethyl ethanolamine] |
-
|
2
| |
108-01-0 | |||
Diinitrogen tetraoxide [dinitrogentetroxide] |
(*)
|
1
| [271] |
10544-72-6 | |||
Ethylenediamine [ethylene diamine] |
*
|
6
| |
107-15-3 | |||
Ethylene oxide
|
-
|
2
| |
75-21-8 | |||
Formaldehyde (gas, dust) |
*
|
9
| |
50-00-0 | |||
Freon, (freon-22) |
-
|
2
| |
Glutaraldehyde [glutaral] |
*[*]
|
9
| |
11-30-8 | |||
Hexachlorophene
|
-
|
1
| [295] |
70-30-4 | |||
Hexamethylenetetramine
|
*
|
3
| |
100-97-0 | |||
Hydrazine
|
-
|
1
| [30] |
302-01-2 | |||
Iridium salt
|
-
|
1
| [298] |
Isocyanates, isocyanurate
| |||
", various (HDI, MDI, TDI) |
**
|
11
| |
", Diphenylmethane diisocyanate [MDI] |
**
|
7
| |
5873-54-1 | |||
", " prepolymers |
-
|
1
| [311] |
", Hexamethylene diisocyanate [HDI]; plus isodurane Diisocyanate |
(*)
|
3
| |
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
| |
624-83-9 | |||
", 1,5-Naphthylene diisocyanate [NDI] |
(*)
| [46] | |
3173-72-6 | |||
", Polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate |
*
|
1
| [325] |
9016-87-9 | |||
", Toluene diisocyanate, TDI 2,4: 584-84-9; |
**
|
12
| |
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
| |
→anhydrous 7786-81-4 | |||
→hexahydrate 10101-97-0 | |||
Ninhydrin 485-47-2 |
-
|
1
| [335] |
Nitrogen chloride [nitrogen trichloride, trichloramine] |
[*]
|
2
| |
10025-85-1 | |||
Ozone (gassings) |
*
|
1
| [345] |
10028-15-6 | |||
Palladium
|
-
|
1
| [346] |
7440-05-3 | |||
Paraphenylenediamine
|
(*)
|
1
| [347] |
106-50-3 | |||
Paraquat
|
*
|
2
| |
4685-14-7 | |||
Persulfate
| |||
", not specified |
(*)
|
2
| |
", 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
| |
7727-54-0 | |||
Phenylglycine acid chloride
|
*
|
1
| [358] |
39478-47-2 | |||
Phosgene
|
-
|
2
| |
75-44-5 | |||
Piperazine dihydrochloride
|
*
|
3
| |
142-64-3 | |||
Platinum salts
|
**
|
8
| |
(7440-06-4) | |||
Polyethylene
|
-
|
3
| |
9002-88-4 | |||
Polymethyl-methacrylate [plexiglas powder] |
-
|
1
| [369] |
9011-14-7 | |||
Polypropylene, heated to 250 °C |
[*]
|
2
| |
9003-07-0 | |||
Polyvinyl chloride (fume) |
*
|
8
| |
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
| |
8050-09-7 | |||
Sodium azide (powder dust) |
-
|
1
| [384] |
26628-22-8 | |||
Sodium iso-nonanoyl oxybenzene sulphonate [SINOS] 123354-92-7 |
(*)
|
3
| |
Sodium metabisulfite [metabisulfite sodium] |
(*)
|
6
| |
7681-57-4 | |||
Styrene monomer
|
(*)
|
3
| |
100-42-5 | |||
Sulfur dioxide
|
*[*]
|
5
| |
7446-09-5 | |||
Sulfathiazole
|
-
|
1
| [398] |
72-14-0 | |||
Terpene (3-carene) |
-
|
2
| |
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
| |
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
| |
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
| |
1314-62-1 | |||
Zinc (fume) |
-
|
3
| |
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
| |
65997-15-1 | |||
Chlorofluorocarbons
|
(*)
|
2
| |
(degradation products) | |||
Cleaning agents (not specified) |
*[*]
|
9
| |
", detergents |
-
|
2
| |
Coffee, green
|
*
|
5
| |
Cotton (dust, raw) |
*[*]
|
(12)
| |
CNT 750 | |||
Cutting oil
|
-
|
2
| |
Diesel exhaust
|
*
|
5
| |
ECG ink
|
-
|
2
| |
Endotoxin (see also cotton dust, swine confinement, poultry confinement, house dust) |
*
|
2
| |
Environmental tobacco smoke
|
**
|
10
| |
Floor sealant (aromatic hydrocarbons) |
-
|
1
| [30] |
Fumigating agent
|
-
|
1
| [30] |
Furan-based binder
|
-
|
1
| [454] |
Grain
|
**
|
9
| |
", rice
|
[*]
|
1
| [460] |
Hairdressing chemicals
|
(*)
|
1
| [281] |
Lubricants (not specified) |
(*)
|
2
| |
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
| |
Paper dust A111
|
(*)
|
1
| [48] |
Perfume agents (research lab) |
-
|
1
| |
Pesticides (not specified) |
*[*]
|
5
| |
Polyamines, aliphatic |
[*]
|
1
| [468] |
Polyester
|
(*)
|
2
| |
Potroom aluminum smelting
|
*[*]
|
10
| |
Powder paints
|
(*)
|
1
| [479] |
Pyrazolone (see reactive dye) |
-
|
1
| [480] |
Reactive dyes
|
*
|
5
| |
Refractory ceramic fibers [RCF] |
*
|
2
| |
Smoke (fires, pyrolysis products)
|
*[*]
|
5
| |
", (oil fire and dust storm)
|
*
|
1
| [491] |
", (biomass, indoor)
|
(*)
|
1
| [492] |
Soldering flux (fumes) |
*
|
4
| |
Solvents (not specified) |
*
|
4
| |
Spray paint
|
-
|
1
| [30] |
Tall oil
|
-
|
1
| [498] |
Tear gas
|
-
|
4
| |
Welding fumes
|
**
|
18
| |
Work-site or profession
|
Evidence level
|
Number of studies per
work-site or profession
| |
Ceramic production
|
*[*]
|
2
| |
Cleaners
| |||
Construction work (dust, agent not specified) |
**
|
5
| |
Farming
| |||
", (various) |
*[*]
|
9
| |
", animals (pig, beef/veal, dairy, poultry) |
**
|
3
| |
Foundry
|
*[*]
|
4
| |
[see also isocyanates (MDI)] | |||
Health care workers
|
*[*]
|
4
| |
Metallurgical industry workers
|
*
|
1
| [530] |
Poultry confinement
|
*(*)
|
4
| |
Poultry confinement, slaughtery house
|
*
|
3
| |
Swine confinement
|
**
|
8
| |
World Trade Center disaster
2001
|
**
|
8
|
Evidence level (modified RCGP three-star grading) | Number of agents/work-sites or professions | Agents, work-site or profession [Synonym] (CAS) |
---|---|---|
***
| 0 | - |
** | 17 | Benzene-1, 2, 4-tricarboxylic acid-1,2-anhydride [trimellitic anhydride] (552-30-7); chlorine ( 7782-50-5); cobalt (7440-48-4); various isocyanates, isocyanurate (HDI, MDI, TDI), diphenylmethane diisocyanate [MDI] (5873-54-1), toluene diisocyanate, TDI 2,4 (584-84-9), TDI 2,6: (91-08-7); platinum salts (7440-06-4); cement ; environmental tobacco smoke; grain ; welding fumes; construction work (dust, agent not specified); farming, animals (pig, beef/veal, dairy, poultry); swine confinement; World Trade Center disaster 2001 |
*[*]
| 12 | Ceramic production; Phthalic anhydride (85-44-9); glutaraldehyde [glutaral] (11-30-8); sulfur dioxide (7446-09-5); cotton (dust, raw) CNT 750; potroom aluminum smelting; farming (various); foundry; smoke (fires, pyrolysis products); pesticides (not specified); cleaning agents (not specified); health care workers |
*
| 39 | Acetic acid (64-19-7); sulfuric acid (7664-93-9); metacrylates, loctide® (53858-53-0); aluminum salts [aluminum fluoride] (7724-18-1); aluminum sulfate: (10043-01-3); ammonia (7664-41-7); various anhydrides; tetrachlorophthalic anhydride (117-08-8); azobisformamide (123-77-3); cadmium (fumes) (7440-43-9); carbon black dust (1333-86-4); ethylenediamine (107-15-3); formaldehyde (gas, dust) (50-00-0); hexamethylenetetramine ( 100-97-0); methyl isocyanate [MIC] (624-83-9); naphthylene diisocyanate (3173-72-6); polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate (9016-87-9); N-methylmorpholine (09-02-4); ozone (gassings) (10028-15-6); paraquat (4685-14-7); diammonium peroxodisulfate (7727-54-0); phenylglycine acid chloride ( 39478-47-2); piperazine dihydrochloride (142-64-3); polyvinyl chloride (fume) (9002-86-2); rosin core solder; thermal decomposition (8050-09-7); vanadium (7440-62-2) + divanadium pentoxide (1314-62-1); cleaning agents (not specified); green coffee ; diesel exhaust; endotoxin; oil (spill); paint (fumes); pesticides (not specified); reactive dyes; refractory ceramic fibers [RCF]; smoke (fires, pyrolysis products; oil fire and dust storm); soldering flux; solvents (not specified); health care workers; poultry confinement; slaughtery house; metallurgical industry workers |
[*]
| 3 | Nitrogen chloride ( 10025-85-1); polyamines, aliphatic; potassium persulfate (7727-21-1) and ammonium peroxydisufate (7727-54-0); grain rice |
(*)
| 29 | Acids not specified; hydrochloric acids (7647-01-0); alkyl cyanoacrylates; 3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole l(16691-43-3); aziridine, polyfunctional (64265-57-2); chloramine T (powder dust) (7080-50-4); chromate (not specified); 3-(diamino-amino)propylamine (109-55-7); dichlorodiethyl sulfide (505-60-2); 2-diethylaminoethanol (100-37-8); diinitrogen tetraoxide (10544-72-6); hexamethylene diisocyanate [HDI], plus isodurane diisocyanate (822-06-0); HDI biuret plus (4035-89-6); nickel sulphate anhydrous (7786-81-4); hexahydrate (10101-97-0); paraphenylenediamine (106-50-3); persulfate (not specified); polypropylene, heated to 250 °C (9003-07-0); potassium dichromate (7778-50-9); potassium aluminum tetrafluoride (14484-69-6); sodium iso-nonanoyl oxybenzene sulphonate [SINOS] (123354-92-7); sodium metabisulfite (7681-57-4); styrene monomer (100-42-5); chlorofluorocarbons (degradation products); hairdressing chemicals; lubricants (not specified); paper dust A111; aliphatic polyamines; polyester; powder paints; smoke (biomass, indoor) |
-
| 93 | Acids various; dodecanedioic (693-23-2-1); hydrofluoric acids (7664-39-3); cyanoacrylate glue; methyl 2-cyanoacrylate (137-05-3); methylmethacrylate (80-62-6); 2-aminoethanol (141-43-5); amino-ethyl-ethanolamine (111-41-1); ammonium chloride (triple salt) (12125-02-9); ammonium thioglycolate (5421-46-5); amprolium hydrochloride (137-88-2); dioctyl phthalate (117-81-7); hexahydrophthalic anhydrides (37226-48-5); himic anhydrides (2746-19-2); maleic anhydrides (108-31-6); methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydrides (26590-20-9); pyromellitic dianhydride (89-32-7); benzalkonium chloride (fumes) (8001-54-5); 1, 2-benzisothiazoline-3-one (fumes) (2634-33-5); bisulfite, SO2:(7446-09-5); hydrobromic acid bromine; bromochlorodifluoromethane [halon 1211] (353-59-3); bromotrifluoromethane [halon 1301](75-63-8); calcium carbonate [chalk powder]; calcium oxide (1305-78-8); captafol (2425-06-1); chlorhexidine (55-56-1); aliphatic + cycloaliphatic diamine, (hardener) (2855-13-2) [isophorone diamine]; diazonium tetrafluoroborate (14239-22-6); dichlorvos [organophosphate] (62-73-7); diethanolamine (111-42-2); 2-dimethylaminoethanol [dimethyl ethanolamine] (108-01-0); ethylene oxide (75-21-8); freon-22; hexachlorophene (70-30-4); hydrazine (302-01-2); iridium salt; isocyanate prepolymers; 3-isocyanatomethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexyl isocyanate (4098-71-9); triglycidil isocyanurate (2451-62-1); triphenylmethane triisocyanate; isothiazolinone (55965-84-9); lauryl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (139-07-1); metam sodium (144-54-7); methylmercaptan (74-93-1); monoethanolamine (141-43-5); ninhydrin (485-47-2); palladium (7440-05-3); ammonium persulfate; alcalic persulfate; sodium persulfate (7775-27-1); dipotassium peroxo-peroxodisulfate (7727-21-1); phosgene (75-44-5); polyethylene (9002-88-4); polymethyl-methacrylate (9011-14-7); sodium azide (powder dust) (26628-22-8); sulfathiazole (2-14-0); terpene (3-carene) (3466-78-9); tetrahydrothiophene (110-01-0); tetrachloroisophthalonitrile (fungicide); tetramethrin (7696-12-0); tributyl tin oxide; triethanolamine (102-71-6); tungsten carbide (11130-73-7); turpentine (8006-64-2); tylosin tartrate; uranium hexafluoride (7783-81-5); urea (fume) (57-13-6); urea formaldehyde foam (64869-57-4); phenol-formaldehyde resin (9003-35-4); zinc (fume) (7440-66-6); zinc chloride (fume) (7646-85-7); acid fluxes; acrylic acid; airbag content; bleaching agent (fumes); chlorofluorocarbons (degradation products); detergents; cutting oil; ECG ink; floor sealant (aromatic hydrocarbons); fumigating agent; furan-based binder; metal coating remover (coating removing chemical); metal oxide (fume); metal working fluids; perfume agents (research lab); pyrazolone; spray paint; tall oil; tear gas |