[Effects of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide on human health].

OBJECTIVE

To study the hazards of demulsifier production process.

METHODS

The air of production environment was monitored, and physical examinations were conducted on 52 exposure workers and 53 non-exposure workers (control), all the medical checks including clinical, electromyography and laboratory checks.

RESULTS

The air concentration of propylene oxide was 4.6 mg/m3, and the concentration of Ethylene oxide was 4.8 mg/m3. There was significant difference between exposure group and control group in terms of the incidence of neurasthenic syndromes, lachrymation, laryngopharyngeal ache, inappetence, tired and quadriplegia (P <0.01). The incidence of Achilles's tendon reflection, knee jerk slacking up, chronic pharyngitis, coryza, acne, hair lose and pneumonia were significantly higher in study group than that in control group (P <0.01). Peripheral nerve damage of impairment incidence rate was 40.4%, significantly higher than that in control group (9.4%). No significant difference was found between groups on IgG, IgA and IgM. And also did the rate of chromosome aberrance (CA), sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and micronuclie cell (MC) of peripheral blood (P >0.05).

CONCLUSION

The production environment of demulisier could stimulate respiratory channel and affect peripheral nerve and central nerve, but no aberrance effects were found.