國家衛生研究院 NHRI:Item 3990099045/2396

NHRI > National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences > Ming-Tsang Wu(2000-2001) > Periodical Articles > Item 3990099045/2396

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Title:	An unusual case of organophosphate intoxication of a worker in a plastic bottle recycling plant: An important reminder
Authors:	Wang, CL;Chuang, HY;Chang, CY;Liu, ST;Wu, MT;Ho, CK
Contributors:	Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine
Abstract:	young man was sent to our emergency unit because he had suffered from vomiting and cold swearing for 2 days. At the time he was admitted, he had no acute abdominal pains or gastrointestinal symptoms, and a physical examination revealed nothing but a faster heart rate and moist, hushing skin. The patient had worked for 6 years at a plastic bottle-recycling factory, but none of his co-workers had the same symptoms. Nevertheless, because the plant also recycled pesticide bottles, we suspected organophosphate pesticide intoxication. The patient's plasma acetylcholinesterase level was checked, revealing 1498.6 muU/L (normal range: 2,000-5,000) on the first day and 1,379 muU/L on the second day. Upon questioning, the patient recalled that one of his shoe soles had been damaged and that his foot had been wet from walking all day in rain collected on the factory floor on the day char his symptoms first occurred. We conducted a study in the change of preshift. and postshift acetylcholinesterase levels among six of his co-workers on a rainy day. We used the Wilcoxon signed rank test to compare the preshift and postshift plasma acetyl-cholinesterase levels; no significant difference was revealed (p = 0.600), leaving contamination via the damaged shoe sole suspect. We reviewed the literature on organophosphate intoxication; pesticide bottle-recycling factories were reported to be at a low risk of organophosphate toxicity in the working environment. However, because the potential risk of intoxication is still present, protective equipment such as clothing, gloves, and water-proof shoes should be worn, and employees should be educated on the potential risks.
Keywords:	Environmental Sciences;Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Date:	2000-11
Relation:	Environmental Health Perspectives. 2000 Nov;108(11):1103-1105.
Link to:	http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2000/108p1103-1105wang/abstract.html
JIF/Ranking 2023:	http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcAuth=NHRI&SrcApp=NHRI_IR&KeyISSN=0091-6765&DestApp=IC2JCR
Cited Times(WOS):	https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000165315600034
Cited Times(Scopus):	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=0033670862
Appears in Collections:	[Ming-Tsang Wu(2000-2001)] Periodical Articles

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