title: Health effects due to fumigated freight containers and goods: how to detect, how to act.
abstract: Headache, concentration and memory disorders, dizziness and nausea, skin irritation, respiratory  distress, and muscle cramps - isolated or in various combinations - may be the result of  acute or chronic intoxication by fumigants. The occurrence of these symptoms in workers who  are engaged in the opening and unloading of containers, unpacking of imported goods, ventilating  of containers, or working on bulk carriers are urgent indications of intoxication by fumigants  or other toxic chemical residues in the transported goods. The severity of the disorder depends  on the concentration and duration of exposure, distribution and release of the fumigant, its  kinetics, the individual susceptibility of the person, as well as any simultaneous exposure to  other toxic substances. Physical symptoms, acute and chronic health effects due to contact with  fumigants, are complex and difficult to discover. In this article we explain how to identify the  guiding symptoms and describe the appropriate diagnostic steps and the prevention of such  events on cargo vessels as well as in the logistics and the handling of imported goods.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Occupational Medicine and Maritime Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. a.preisser@uke.de
authors.forename: Alexandra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Preisser
authors.forename: Lygia T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Budnik
authors.forename: Xaver
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Baur
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005651:Fumigation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016272:Occupational Health; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012767:Ships
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational