Hathaway J A, DeWilde A, Shepperly D C, Nguyen L T, Johnson J E
Rhodia Inc., Cranbury, NJ, USA.
J Occup Environ Med. 1999 May;41(5):378-83. doi: 10.1097/00043764-199905000-00005.
Production of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) biuret and trimer from HDI monomer was started in 1988 at the plant under study. Pulmonary function tests were included as part of the annual evaluation of the workers in that unit. HDI is expected to have toxic properties similar to those of toluene diisocyanate. The latter has caused accelerated declines in pulmonary function in exposed workers. In 1991, an initial longitudinal evaluation of those pulmonary function tests was performed, comparing annual declines in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether or not exposures to HDI at the unit had caused any accelerated decline in FVC or FEV1. No significant differences were seen in that evaluation, but it was decided that the study be continued in a prospective fashion. The study has been continued through 1997. The slope of the annual change in FVC and FEV1 were calculated for a group of workers and a matched control group. The average annual decline in FVC for the exposed group (cases) was 0.026 L, compared with 0.025 L for the control group. For the decline in FEV1, the results were 0.044 L, compared with 0.041 L (P = 0.79). These results are virtually identical and support a conclusion that exposures within this unit to HDI have not caused an accelerated decline in FVC or FEV1. Exposures to HDI were measured during this period. The time-weighted average exposure to HDI during work not requiring respiratory protection in the unit (approximately 2 hours per day) was 0.5 parts per billion. The average daily high peak exposure was 2.9 parts per billion. Exposure to these levels appear to pose no risk of accelerated decline in pulmonary function.
1988年，在该研究工厂开始由六亚甲基二异氰酸酯（HDI）单体生产HDI缩二脲和三聚体。肺功能测试作为该部门工人年度评估的一部分。预计HDI具有与甲苯二异氰酸酯类似的毒性特性。后者已导致接触工人的肺功能加速下降。1991年，对这些肺功能测试进行了初步纵向评估，比较了用力肺活量（FVC）和一秒用力呼气量（FEV1）的年度下降情况。该研究的目的是评估该部门接触HDI是否导致FVC或FEV1加速下降。在该评估中未发现显著差异，但决定以前瞻性方式继续该研究。该研究一直持续到1997年。计算了一组工人和一个匹配对照组FVC和FEV1年度变化的斜率。接触组（病例）FVC的年平均下降量为0.026升，而对照组为0.025升。FEV1下降的结果分别为0.044升和0.041升（P = 0.79）。这些结果几乎相同，支持这样一个结论，即该部门接触HDI并未导致FVC或FEV1加速下降。在此期间对HDI接触情况进行了测量。该部门在不需要呼吸防护的工作期间（每天约2小时）HDI的时间加权平均接触量为十亿分之0.5。每日平均高峰接触量为十亿分之2.9。接触这些水平似乎不会带来肺功能加速下降的风险。
