Hello,
Thanks for asking your question. You asked the following:
"What is the short and long term effects of Sulphur Dioxide Fumes on
the body?"
What is sulphur dioxide?
From Aerias:
"Sulfur dioxide (S02) is a colorless gas or liquid with a suffocating
and pungent odor. It is a common combustion pollutant. It is an
important outdoor air pollutant given off by coal burning power
plants. This is because some coal is contaminated with sulfur. When
the coal is burned, the sulfur dioxide is released into the air. If
there is moisture in the air, the sulfur dioxide dissolves into the
moisture creating acid rain (sulfuric acid)."
http://www.aerias.org/kview.asp?DocId=143&spaceid=1&subid=7#so2-health
1) Short term effects
Aerias nicely describes the short term, or acute effects of sulphur
dioxide:
"Acute effects to low levels of sulfur dioxide include irritation of
the eyes, nose, and respiratory tract. Because S02 dissolves easily in
water, even low levels can be very irritating. Repeated exposures may
result in:
Headache, Dizziness, Nausea
Acute effects to high levels can possibly burn the skin and eyes and
may result in permanent eye damage. High levels may also cause
pulmonary edema (when the lungs fill up with fluid). This is a true
medical emergency since oxygen cannot get through the fluid so the
person may die. S02 can also cause the airway passages in the lung to
narrow resulting in wheezing, chest tightness, or breathing problems."
http://www.aerias.org/kview.asp?DocId=143&spaceid=1&subid=7#so2-health
OSH Answers gives some short term effects:
"In severe cases where very high concentrations of SO2 have been
produced in closed spaces, SO2 has caused severe airways obstruction,
hypoxemia (insufficient oxygenation of the blood), pulmonary edema (a
life threatening accumulation of fluid in the lungs), and death in
minutes. The effects of pulmonary edema include coughing and shortness
of breath which can be delayed until hours or days after the exposure.
These symptoms are aggravated by physical exertion. As a result of
severe exposures, permanent lung injury may occur."
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/sulfurdi/health_sul.html
Calif-legal.com describes some short term effects of sulfur dioxide:
"Sulfur dioxide fumes are not absorbed into the body and do not
penetrate through the skin. The toxic effects of sulfur dioxide are
derived wholly from its ability to directly irritate the eyes, the
moist mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, and the lung.
Acute impairment of lung function associated with toxicologically
significant exposure to sulfur dioxide is obstructive in nature due,
at least in part, to irritant-induced bronchoconstriction.
Controlled studies in humans have documented that acute inhalation of
sulfur dioxide can cause bronchoconstriction, particularly in
asthmatics. As a group, exercising asthmatics are probably the persons
most susceptible to sulfur dioxide inhalation, often responding
adversely to levels of 0.1 ppm. Among healthy volunteers, the
threshold for respiratory function changes is about 1.0 ppm over a
period of several hours. These acute functional changes,
reflex-mediated bronchoconstriction, tend to disappear during exposure
or shortly thereafter. It is not clear whether adaptation to these low
concentrations takes place with repeated exposure, although workers
exposed to sulfur dioxide on a daily basis appear to develop some
tolerance to its irritating effects.
A biphasic response to exposure to very high concentrations of sulfur
dioxide has been described. The first phase consists of immediate
symptoms of eye, nose, and throat irritation with chest tightness and
non-productive cough. The second phase, appearing several weeks later,
is characterized by respiratory failure due to fibrosis of the
terminal bronchioles (bronchiolitis obliterans)."
http://www.calif-legal.com/Articles/oct_article_pg2.html
From ToxFAQs, some words on short term effects:
"Exposure to very high levels of sulfur dioxide can be life
threatening. Exposure to 100 parts of sulfur dioxide per million parts
of air (100 ppm) is considered immediately dangerous to life and
health. Burning of the nose and throat, breathing difficulties, and
severe airway obstructions occurred in miners who breathed sulfur
dioxide released as a result of an explosion in a copper mine."
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts116.html
2) Long term effects
Aerias briefly mentions some long term effects:
"Repeated, long-term exposure to lower levels of sulfur dioxide may:
Decrease pulmonary function
Cause bronchitis to develop with cough and phlegm production"
http://www.aerias.org/kview.asp?DocId=143&spaceid=1&subid=7#so2-health
From Clean it up or close it down.com:
"Sulfur Dioxide: This gas causes permanent pulmonary impairment with
long-term exposure."
http://www.cleanituporcloseitdown.org/danger.htm
Calif-legal.com describes some long term effects, especially in
associated with reactive airways disease (RADS):
"Sulfur dioxide exposure and reactive airway dysfunction syndrome
(RADS)
In 1985, Brooks and his colleagues described an asthma-like illness in
men who had undergone a single inhalation exposure to high levels of
an irritating vapor, fume, or smoke. The investigators termed this
illness "reactive airway dysfunction syndrome (RADS)". None of the
affected individuals had preexisting respiratory disease and,
following exposure, all showed positive methacholine challenge tests.
Brooks and his colleagues established eight clinical criteria for the
diagnosis of RADS: 1. Documented absence of preceding respiratory
complaints; 2. Onset of symptoms after a single, specific exposure; 3.
Exposure was to an irritating gas, smoke, fume or vapor present in
very high concentrations; 4. Onset of symptoms within 24 hours after
exposure and persisting for least three months; 5. Symptoms were
asthmatic in nature; 6. Pulmonary function test may show airflow
obstruction; 7. Methacholine challenge testing was positive in every
case; and 8. Other types of pulmonary diseases were ruled out."
http://www.calif-legal.com/Articles/oct_article_pg2.html
From ToxFAQs, some words on long term effects:
"Long-term exposure to persistent levels of sulfur dioxide can affect
your health. Lung function changes were seen in some workers exposed
to low levels of sulfur dioxide for 20 years or more. However, these
workers were also exposed to other chemicals, so their health effects
may not have been from sulfur dioxide alone. Asthmatics have also been
shown to be sensitive to the respiratory effects of low concentrations
of sulfur dioxide.
Animal studies also show respiratory effects from breathing sulfur
dioxide. Animals exposed to high concentrations of sulfur dioxide
showed decreased respiration, inflammation of the airways, and
destruction of areas of the lung."
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts116.html
OSH Answers answers what the long term effects are in this segment:
"RESPIRATORY EFFECTS: Several human studies have shown that repeated
exposure to low levels of SO2 (below 5 ppm) has caused permanent
pulmonary impairment. This effect is probably due to repeated episodes
of bronchoconstriction. One study has found a decrease in lung
function in smelter workers exposed for over 1 year to 1-2.5 ppm SO2.
No effect was seen in the same study in workers exposed to less than 1
ppm. In another study, a high incidence of respiratory symptoms was
reported in workers exposed to 20-30 ppm for an average of 4 years.
Workers exposed to daily average values of 5 ppm SO2 (with occasional
peaks of 53 ppm) had a much higher incidence of chronic bronchitis
than controls.
There are numerous studies on the potential effects of SO2 as a
component of air pollution. These studies are difficult to interpret
because of confounding factors and uncertainty about exposure
concentrations.
SKIN: There are two case reports of individuals developing skin
eruptions after repeated inhalation of high concentrations. In later
tests, it was found that as little as a 30-minute exposure to 10 ppm
SO2 or a 1-hour exposure to 4 ppm SO2 could produce the skin
eruptions. The eruptions disappeared after removal from exposure.
These particular reactions are probably rare as there are no other
reports of this type of reaction."
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/sulfurdi/health_sul.html
Please use any answer clarification before rating this answer. I will
be happy to explain or expand on any issue you may have.
Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.
Internet search strategy:
Using FAST, Google, Inktomi and Teoma via Hotbot.com
sulfur dioxide toxicology
sulfur dioxide short term effects
sulfur dioxide long term effects
Links:
Your home: Sulphur dioxide
http://www.aerias.org/kview.asp?DocId=143&spaceid=1&subid=7#so2-health
New Jersey Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet. Sulfur dioxide. Date
accessed October 2000: www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/rtkweb/1759.pdf.
ToxFAQs - Sulfur dioxide
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts116.html
ATSDR: Toxicological profile: Sulfur dioxide
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp116.html
OSH Answers - Health Effects of Sulfur Dioxide
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/sulfurdi/health_sul.html
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/aw/air/health/sulfurdiox.htm |
