The following web pages pertaining to "Industrial Chemicals Associated with Toxic Hepatitis" do not reflect the revision of hepatotoxins in the current version of Haz-Map. Please see the NLM website for updated information, including new references and additional hepatotoxic chemicals.

Industrial Chemicals Associated with Toxic Hepatitis

The chemicals in this list are known to cause illness or death due to acute hepatic injury after occupational exposure. An example is a worker who becomes ill with toxic hepatitis after using one of the solvents in a confined space without respiratory protection. Workers who improperly handle any one of these 20 chemicals could suffer liver damage as the principal toxic effect of the substance.

Industrial Chemicals Associated with Acute Liver Injury as the Primary Toxic Effect: Illness or Death
Category	Chemical Name	CAS #	Other Chemical Names
Aliphatic Nitros	2-Nitropropane	79-46-9	Dimethylnitromethane, iso-Nitropropane, 2-NP
Aromatic Amines	4,4'-Methylenedianiline	101-77-9	MDA; 4,4'-Diaminodiphenylmethane; para, para'-Diaminodiphenyl-methane; Dianilinomethane; 4,4'-Diphenylmethanediamine; 4,4' Methylene bis (2-chloraniline); diaminodiphenylmethane; DDM;
Aromatic Nitros	2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene	118-96-7	1-Methyl-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene; TNT; Trinitrotoluene; sym-Trinitrotoluene; Trinitrotoluol
Chlorinated Solvents	Ethylene dichloride	107-06-2	1,2-Dichloroethane; Ethylene chloride; Glycol dichloride
Chlorinated Solvents	1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane	79-34-5	Acetylene tetrachloride
Chlorinated Solvents	Carbon tetrachloride	56-23-5	Tetrachloromethane
Chlorinated Solvents	Propylene dichloride	78-87-5	1-2-Dichloropropane
Halogenated Solvents	Carbon tetrabromide	558-13-4	Carbon bromide, Methane tetrabromide, Tetrabromomethane;
Halogenated Solvents	Acetylene tetrabromide	79-27-6	Symmetrical tetrabromoethane; TBE; Tetrabromoacetylene; Tetrabromoethane; 1,1,2,2-Tetrabromoethane;
Halogenated Solvents	Ethylene dibromide	106-93-4	1,2-Dibromoethane; Ethylene bromide; Glycol dibromide;
Halowaxes	Hexachloronaphthalene	1335-87-1	Halowax 1014
Halowaxes	Octachloronaphthalene	2234-13-1	Halowax 1051
Halowaxes	Pentachloronaphthalene	1321-64-8	Halowax 1013; 1,2,3,4,5-Pentachloronaphthalene;
Halowaxes	Tetrachloronaphthalene	1335-88-2	Halowax, Nibren wax, Seekay wax;
Halowaxes	Trichloronaphthalene	1321-65-9	Halowax, Nibren wax, Seekay wax;
Nitrosamines	N-Nitrosodimethylamine	62-75-9	Dimethylnitrosamine; DMNA; NDMA; N,N-Dimethylnitrosamine;
Other Solvents	Dimethylformamide	68-12-2	Dimethyl formamide; N,N-Dimethylformamide; DMF;
Other Solvents	Tetrahydrofuran	109-99-9	Diethylene oxide; 1,4-Epoxybutane; Tetramethylene oxide; THF;
Other Solvents	Dimethyl acetamide	127-19-5	DMAC; Acetic acid, dimethylamide; Dimethyl Acetamide; acetdimethylamide; dimethylacetone amide; dimethylamide acetate;
Other Organics	Diphenyl	92-52-4	Biphenyl, Phenyl benzene

 

Chemicals Associated with Abnormal Liver Function Tests (LFTs)

The next list of 156 industrial chemicals (Tables A, B, & C) could potentially cause hepatic injury in the occupational setting as a secondary toxic effect. Evidence of hepatic injury, such as elevated liver enzymes, has been reported for many of these chemicals after unprotected occupational exposure. For hazardous chemicals with long biological half-lives such as the heavy metals, PCBs and organochlorine insecticides, hepatic damage may not occur until a level of body burden is reached after chronic exposure.

Other chemicals are listed because they have caused liver injury in animal toxicology studies or in humans after ingestion. Conceivably, these chemicals could also cause liver damage through inhalation or skin absorption in the work environment. The main references used to compose both lists are two toxicology databases on compact disc: HSDB and TLVs and other Occupational Exposure Values.

While investigating some cases of chemical exposure, the physician may find useful Tables A, B & C. The secondary effect of liver toxicity, as indicated by elevated liver enzyme levels, could serve as a marker of significant exposure to that chemical.

Because of the routine use of liver function tests in medical surveillance programs, the occupational medicine physician frequently faces the problem of evaluating the possible work-relatedness of elevated values. Included are some abstracts in PubMed that may be helpful when dealing with this problem.

 

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