Airborne irritant contact dermatitis and conjunctivitis after occupational exposure to chlorothalonil in textiles.
Chlorothalonil (tetrachloro-1,3-benzenedicarbonitrile, CAS 1897-45-6) is a pesticide that has been on the market for many years. It is used as a fungicide in agriculture, horticulture, and floriculture; as a wood preservative; and in paint. We report an epidemic of airborne irritant contact dermatitis, conjunctivitis, and upper airway complaints among seamstresses in a Portuguese trailer tent factory, which we attribute to chlorothalonil. All exposed workers had work-related skin symptoms. After patch testing, we showed that none of these were of allergic origin. Instead of allergic reactions, we noticed a delayed type of irritation after 72 hr to chlorothalonil and to the textile extracts containing high concentrations of chlorothalonil. Although allergic and irritant contact dermatitis from chlorothalonil has been described before, this is, as far as we know, the first time that a delayed type of dermatitis, conjunctivitis, and upper airway irritation after exposure to chlorothalonil in tent-cloth is described.
Department of Dermatology and Academic Center for Occupation and Health, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, NL-9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands. g.j.lensen@derm.umcg.nl
Gerda
G
Lensen
Frank
F
Jungbauer
Margarida
M
Gonçalo
Pieter Jan
PJ
Coenraads
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D017453:Dermatitis, Irritant / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009570:Nitriles / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D010328:Patch Tests; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000139:chemically induced; D011174:Portugal; D013784:Textiles / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D009570:Nitriles; C005806:tetrachloroisophthalonitrile