industrial agents that can cause asthma

Introduction

An estimated 15% of newly diagnosed cases of asthma are from workplace exposure.

Etiology

• salts of platinum, nickel & chromium
• wood dust
  • mohagany
  • oak
  • redwood
  • plicatic acid in western red cedar
• vegetable dusts
  • castor bean
  • cotton dust
  • cottonseed
  • wheat & rye flour (bakers, millers)
  • mite & weevil antigens in grain
  • green coffee
  • gums
    • guar (carpets, adhesives)
    • acacia (inks)
    • karaya (food, hairdessers)
  • garlic
  • psyllium (pharmaceutical)
  • flaxseed
  • linseed
  • cereal grains
  • soybeans
  • tobacco
• industrial chemicals & plastics
  • ethylene diamine
  • anhydrides
    • phthalic anhydride (plastics, drugs, chemicals)
    • trimellitic anhydride (epoxy resins, plastics)
    • hexahydrophthalic anhydride (epoxy & alkyl resins)
    • tetrachlorothalic anhydride (epoxy & alkyl resins)
    • himic anhydride (fire retardants)
  • polyvinyl chloride
  • diisocyanates
    • toluene diisocyanate (urethane)
    • methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (urethane)
    • hexamethylene diisocyanate (paints)
  • platinum salts
  • dyes
  • sulfonechloramide or chloramine-T (janitorial workers, disinfectant)
  • piperazine (pharmaceutical)
  • glutaraldehyde (health care workers)
  • phenylglycine acid chloride (pharmaceuticals)
  • persulfate salts (cosmetics)
  • ethylenediamine (cosmetics, plastics, rubber)
  • triethylene tetramine (epoxy resins)
• pharmaceutical agents
  • phenylglycine acid chloride
  • penicillins
  • spiramycin
  • tetracycline
  • alpha-methyldopa
• food industry agents
  • egg protein
  • polyvinyl chloride
• enzymes
  • enzymes in Bacillus subtillus (laundry detergents)
  • pancreatic enzymes (pharmaceutical)
  • fungal amylase (Bakers, dough conditioners)
  • trypsin (hog) (pharmaceutical)
• animals
  • canine or feline saliva
  • horse dander
  • rodent urine
• invertebrates
  • prawns
  • crabs
  • grain mites (granary workers, farm workers, dock workers)
  • foul mites (poultry workers)
  • mealworms (bait, grain workers)
• latex (health care workers)
  • latex proteins are aerosolized with corn starch glove powder
  • powderless gloves reduce latex aerosolized dispersal