NURS 735 - APPLIED TOXICOLOGY

Solvents are liquid organic chemicals that are frequently used to dissolve other chemicals that are typically insoluble in water. They vary greatly in their chemical properties, especially in their lipidphilicity and volatility. This module will focus on differences in the chemical nature of different solvents and chorinated organics, and discuss the different target organ affects. Emphasis will also be placed on controlling solvent exposures in the workplace through Federal regulations as well as functional occupational safely practices.

By completing this module, you should:

• Understand how different classes of solvents vary with respect to both their chemical characteristics and their mechanisms of toxicity;
  
• Know the importance of metabolism in the toxicity of organic compounds;
  
• Learn the structure and chemical nature of the three types of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons that concern toxicologists;
  
• Know why chlorinated hydrocarbons are still important environmental pollutants even though their production has been greatly reduced in recent years; and
  
• Understand the basic mechanism of action of TCDD and why establishing dose/response relationships for this compound in humans is very difficult.
  

To guide your understanding of key concepts throughout this module, the following assigned resources are available:

• Mini-Lecture:

Overview of Organics and solvents (Flash presentation with narration)
Overview of Organics and solvents (PowerPoint with notes of the above presentation in pdf format)

• Websites for further reading on organics and solvents:

EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment/Dioxin and related compounds
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/ (then link to Dioxins)

ATSDR: Assessment of PCB exposure
(0r view original file from ATSDR - http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/DT/pcb007.html)

OSHA Regulation of solvent exposures:
Solvents in general: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/solvents/index.html

Benzene: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/benzene/index.html

Assignment:

Homework: Industries are required to obtain permits to release chemicals into the air. As a part of this permitting process, they are required to report the total amount of each chemical that will be released per year. Many of these chemicals are solvents. For homework, find out what solvents are released by companies near where you live. Do this by going to EPA's website that allows you to review Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data (http://www.epa.gov/tri/). On this webpage, type in your zip code. Select from the list of chemicals reported by companies in your area the top three solvents. Report the total amounts released for each of these solvents. Then write a short paragraph on what is known about the chronic toxicity of each of the three solvents (one short paragraph per solvent). Post your list of chemicals/sources and your 3-paragraph report to the Discussion Board under Module 6 assignments.