Convulsions and hypoglycemia due to tetramethyl succinonitrile intoxication in the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry: A 4-year follow-up

Objectives: Exposure and clinical data concerning cases of toxic convulsions and hypoglycemia due to tetramethyl succinonitrile (TMSN) exposure are reported. Material and Methods: Forty-four workers exposed to TMSN in the PVC production plant participated in occupational health medical check-ups including medical history, clinical examination and clinical chemistry. A 4-year follow-up was performed. To evaluate occupational exposure, measurements of TMSN in the ambient air as well as personal air sampling were conducted. Results: Four workers suffered from convulsions with reversible pathologic EEG and 16 other persons were hypoglycemic. Other frequent symptoms included headaches, dizziness and unpleasant taste sensations. TMSN levels had been clearly above the Swiss occupational exposure limit value (MAK). Occupational hygiene interventions resulted in a reduction of the TMSN concentration below the MAK value. TMSN related symptoms have not been observed anymore in the 4-year follow-up. Conclusion: TMSN is a convulsive substance which in humans has also a hypoglycemic effect

What makes a cyanobacterial bloom disappear? A review of the abiotic and biotic cyanobacterial bloom loss factors

Cyanobacterial blooms present substantial challenges to managers and threaten ecological and public health. Although the majority of cyanobacterial bloom research and management focuses on factors that control bloom initiation, duration, toxicity, and geographical extent, relatively little research focuses on the role of loss processes in blooms and how these processes are regulated. Here, we define a loss process in terms of population dynamics as any process that removes cells from a population, thereby decelerating or reducing the development and extent of blooms. We review abiotic (e.g., hydraulic flushing and oxidative stress/UV light) and biotic factors (e.g., allelopathic compounds, infections, grazing, and resting cells/programmed cell death) known to govern bloom loss. We found that the dominant loss processes depend on several system specific factors including cyanobacterial genera-specific traits, in situ physicochemical conditions, and the microbial, phytoplankton, and consumer community composition. We also address loss processes in the context of bloom management and discuss perspectives and challenges in predicting how a changing climate may directly and indirectly affect loss processes on blooms. A deeper understanding of bloom loss processes and their underlying mechanisms may help to mitigate the negative consequences of cyanobacterial blooms and improve current management strategies

15 Years experience with MBB rescue helicopters

SIGLECopy held by FIZ Karlsruhe; available from UB/TIB Hannover / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman