| Document ID (ISN) | 106396 |
| CIS number |
07-395 |
| ISSN - Serial title |
0340-0131 - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health |
| Year |
2006 |
| Convention or series no. |
|
| Author(s) |
Arts J.H.E., de Heer C., Woutersen R.A. |
| Title |
Local effects in the respiratory tract: Relevance of subjectively measured irritation for setting occupational exposure limits |
| Bibliographic information |
Apr. 2006, Vol.79, No.4, p.283-298. Illus. 162 ref. |
| Abstract |
Chemosensory effects of stimulation by a chemical can either be irritating (trigeminal stimulation) or odorous (olfactory stimulation) or both. For odorous irritants, a clear-cut distinction between odour and irritation is difficult to make. The differences in the lowest concentration found to be irritating to the respiratory tract in humans when compared to experimental animals need to be considered in the process of setting occupational exposure limits (OELs) for such chemicals. This literature survey discusses to what extent subjectively-measured sensory irritation threshold levels can be used to establish OELs. Data on respiratory irritation of acetone, formaldehyde, furfural and sulfur dioxide were analysed. Findings are discussed. Objective measures of irritation yielded results that differed from subjective evaluations. Important factors modulating the reported levels of irritation and symptoms include the perception of odour intensity, exposure history and individual bias to report irritation on the basis of a person's prejudice or knowledge of the compound. |
| Descriptors (primary) |
irritation; olfactometry; determination of exposure limits; olfaction |
| Descriptors (secondary) |
literature survey; formaldehyde; irritants; subjective assessment; upper respiratory tract; acetone; sulfur dioxide; symptoms; chemical products; odour threshold; confounding factors; evaluation of technique; furfural |
| Document type |
D - Periodical articles |
| Country / State or Province | Netherlands |
| Subject(s) |
Toxic and dangerous substances
|
| Broad subject area(s) |
Chemical safety
|
| Browse category(ies) |
Diseases of other sense organs (other than the eye and the ears)
|
