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Increase of Toxicity of Trace Anesthetics by UV Light.

Karis JH

Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, Terminal Progress Report :8 pages

00181253

Efforts were made to determine whether trace amounts of halothane (151677) present in operating rooms and irradiated by ultraviolet (UV) light are harmful to operating room personal when chronically inhaled. The decomposition of halothane by UV light resulted in nine recognizable peaks using gas liquid chromatography. When halothane was irradiated in air or oxygen, photodecomposition was about ten times higher than when irradiated in nitrogen. Mice exposed to 3 percent UV irradiated halothane for 1 hour demonstrated an 80 percent mortality. Sleeping times increased five fold in mice exposed to 1.3 percent irradiated halothane for 90 minutes. Pentobarbital sleeping times were prolonged 1 day following exposure. An increase in serum transaminases was noted following exposure of mice to 1.3 percent irradiated halothane. Immediately following exposure to irradiated halothane, pulmonary toxicity was noted in mice. The lungs showed hemorrhagic lesions and the animals appeared dyspneic. Chronic exposures of male CD-1-mice for 7 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 30 days to 10, 100, or 1000 parts per million (ppm) UV irradiated or nonirradiated halothane were also carried out. There was no mortality in mice exposed to 10 or 100ppm, but there was a 20 percent mortality in mice exposed to 1000ppm irradiated halothane. Exposure to 1000ppm irradiated halothane resulted in a reduction in body weight. Enzyme levels were altered by exposure to irradiated halothane.

NIOSH-Grant; Laboratory-animals; Anesthetics; Halogenated-hydrocarbons; Operating-rooms; Inhalation-studies; Enzyme-activity; Nonionizing-radiation; Toxic-gases; Photochemical-reactions;

Anesthesiology Box 3094 Duke University Durham, N C 27710

151-67-7;

175552.00

Grant;

PB88-252630

A02

Grant-Number-R01-OH-00781

Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, Terminal Progress Report

NC;

Duke University, Durham, North Carolina