Asthmagen?
Critical assessments of the evidence for agents implicated in occupational asthma
First published 1997, reprinted with amendments 1998, 2001
SECTION A: Forword ....................................................................... 3
SECTION B: Introduction................................................................. 4 Purpose of the document................................................................................................. 4
Terminology and toxicological mechanisms .................................................................. 5
Methods for identification of asthmagens....................................................................... 6
Other risk management issues ........................................................................................ 7
The EU classification criteria for respiratory sensitisation............................................. 7
Comments regarding the use of R42............................................................................... 8
References..................................................................................................................... 10
SECTION C: The following substances were considered to meet the new EU criteria, revised in 1996, for classification as a
......................................................................................................... 11 respiratory sensitiser (a cause of asthma) and labelling with R42
C1: AZODICARBONAMIDE...................................................................................... 11
C2: CARMINE ............................................................................................................. 13
C3: CASTOR BEAN DUST......................................................................................... 15
C4: CHLORAMINE-T ................................................................................................. 18
C5: CHLOROPLATINATES AND OTHER HALOGENOPLATINATES................ 21
C6: CHROMIUM (VI) COMPOUNDS ....................................................................... 23
C7: COBALT (METAL AND COMPOUNDS) .......................................................... 26
C8: COW EPITHELIUM/URINE ................................................................................ 28
C9: CRUSTACEAN PROTEINS................................................................................. 30
C10: DIAZONIUM SALTS ......................................................................................... 33
C11: ETHYLENEDIAMINE........................................................................................ 34
C12: GLUTARALDEHYDE........................................................................................ 36
C13: SOME HARDWOOD DUSTS ............................................................................ 38
C14: ISOCYANATES.................................................................................................. 43
C15: LABORATORY ANIMAL EXCRETA/SECRETA ........................................... 46
C16: LATEX................................................................................................................. 49
C17: MALEIC ANHYDRIDE...................................................................................... 55
C18: METHYL-TETRAHYDROPHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE .................................... 57
C19: PAPAIN ............................................................................................................... 60
C20: PENICILLINS...................................................................................................... 62
C21: PERSULPHATES................................................................................................ 65
C22: PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE ................................................................................. 69
C23: PIPERAZINE....................................................................................................... 71
C24: SOME REACTIVE DYES .................................................................................. 73
C25: ROSIN-BASED SOLDER FLUX FUME ........................................................... 77
C26: SOME SOFTWOOD DUSTS.............................................................................. 83
C27: SPIRAMYCIN ..................................................................................................... 85
C28: TETRACHLOROPHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE.................................................... 87
C29: TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE............................................................................ 90
C30: COFFEE BEAN DUST........................................................................................ 92
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C31: EGG PROTEIN.................................................................................................... 96
C32: FISH PROTEINS................................................................................................. 99
C33: HENNA.............................................................................................................. 101
C34: NICKEL SULPHATE........................................................................................ 103
C35: OPIATES ........................................................................................................... 107
C36: STORAGE MITES ............................................................................................ 110
C37: ALPHA AMYLASES........................................................................................ 114
C38: BROMELAINS.................................................................................................. 117
C39: CEPHALOSPORINS......................................................................................... 120
C40: COCKROACH MATERIAL............................................................................. 122
C41: FLOUR DUST ................................................................................................... 126
C42: ISPAGHULA ..................................................................................................... 129
C43: PSYLLIUM........................................................................................................ 131
C44: SOYBEAN DUST ............................................................................................. 134
C45: SUBTILISINS.................................................................................................... 139
SECTION D: The following substances were considered NOT to meet the new EU criteria, revised in 1996, for classification as a
....................................................................................................... 142 respiratory sensitiser (a cause of asthma) and labelling with R42
D1: FORMALDEHYDE ............................................................................................ 142
D2: HYDRALAZINE................................................................................................. 147
D3: METHYL METHACRYLATE ........................................................................... 149
D4: DIETHYLAMINOETHANOL............................................................................ 151
D5: DIMETHYLAMINOETHANOL ........................................................................ 153
D6: ETHANOLAMINE.............................................................................................. 155
D7: METABISULPHITE ........................................................................................... 157
D8: STYRENE............................................................................................................ 159
D9: ACETIC ANHYDRIDE ...................................................................................... 161
D10: CYANOACRYLATES...................................................................................... 162
D11: GUAR GUM...................................................................................................... 164
D12: SENNA .............................................................................................................. 167
D13: STAINLESS STEEL WELDING FUME.......................................................... 169
D14: TEA DUST ........................................................................................................ 173
D15: TOBACCO LEAF ............................................................................................. 177
SECTION E: Substances on the ACTS/WATCH programme on
account of concerns over respiratory senstisation .................. 181
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SECTION A: Forword In HSE the process of critical appraisal of toxicological information has been undertaken for a number of years within regulatory programmes associated with the classification of industrial chemicals and the setting of occupational exposure limits. The resulting assessments provide the basis for the individual entries in this compendium. It should be noted that when full information regarding the potential of a substance to cause asthma has already been (or is expected to be) published by HSE elsewhere, eg in a criteria document or risk assessment document, the compendium entry consists of a summary of that information, together with a reference to the original publication.
Overall, it is clear that all the relevant information available for each substance needs to be c