A group of twenty four workers handling di-isocyanates and with respiratory disease were investigated by occupational-type bronchial provocation tests for sensitivity to toluene di-isocyanate (TDI), to which all were exposed, and to diphenylmethane di-isocyanate (MDI) and hexamethylene di-isocyanate (HDI). Sixteen gave asthmatic reactions to TDI and eight of these also reacted to MDI. Four of t...

Associations between isocyanate exposure and respiratory health effects have received little attention despite the extensive use of isocyanate compounds. Spray painters comprise a large population at risk, with potentially high isocyanate exposure because most lacquers contain hexamethylene diisocyanate. Repeated pulmonary function testing is not sufficient to diagnose and evaluate pulmonary to...

BACKGROUND Isocyanates are some of the leading occupational causes of respiratory disorders, predominantly asthma. Adequate exposure monitoring may recognize risk factors and help to prevent the onset or aggravation of these aliments. Though, the biomonitoring appears to be most suitable for exposure assessment, the sampling time is critical, however. In order to settle the optimal time point f...

The sulfamide functional group is increasingly relevant in both medicinal and bioorganic chemistry. We report here practical access to a series of N2,N5-substituted five-membered cyclosulfamides. The five-membered heterocyclic motif was prepared starting from proteogenic amino acids and chlorosulfonyl isocyanate via the Mitsunobu reaction. Selected chemical and spectral proprieties and the anti...

Four workers at a seed supply warehouse in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, complained of ocular irritation on the job. Pesticide-coated seeds were stored in the warehouse but no significant amount of pesticide was detected in the air inside the warehouse. To identify the cause of the ocular irritation and to determine an appropriate solution to the problem, the authors used thermal desorption gas chro...

Methyl isocyanate (CH3NCO) belongs to a select group of interstellar molecules considered to be relevant precursors in the formation of larger organic compounds, including those with peptide bonds. The molecule has only been detected in a couple of high-mass protostars and potentially on comets. A formation route on icy grains has been postulated for this molecule but experimental evidence is l...

Isocyanates, as a chemical group, are considered to be the biggest cause of occupational asthma in the UK. Monitoring of airborne exposures to total isocyanate is costly, requiring considerable expertise, both in terms of sample collection and chemical analysis and cannot be used to assess the effectiveness of protection from wearing respiratory protective equipment (RPE). Biological monitoring...