Dermatitis among workers cleaning the Sacramento River after a chemical spill--California, 1991

Journal Article · Fri Dec 06 04:00:00 EST 1991 · MMWR, CDC Surveillance Summaries; (United States)

OSTI ID:6002025

On July 14, 1991, a train tanker car derailed in northern California, spilling 19,000 gallons of the soil fumigant metam sodium (sodium methyldithiocarbamate) into the Sacramento River north of Redding. The major breakdown product of metam sodium, methylisothiocyanate (MITC), is a known skin irritant at high concentrations (greater than 1%). By July 21, the concentration of MITC in the river, at multiple test sites, measured 20-40 parts per billion (0.01%). On August 6, Shasta County health officials notified the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) of an outbreak of dermatitis among Shasta County jail inmates and crew leaders who had assisted in removing dead fish from the river on July 21-22 in greater than 100 F (greater than 38 C) ambient temperature.

• OSTI ID: 6002025
• Journal Information: MMWR, CDC Surveillance Summaries; (United States), Journal Name: MMWR, CDC Surveillance Summaries; (United States) Vol. 40:48; ISSN MMWRB; ISSN 0149-2195
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACCIDENTS
ANIMALS
BODY
CALIFORNIA
CARBONIC ACID DERIVATIVES
CHEMICAL SPILLS
CYANATES
DERMATITIS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISEASES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
MAMMALS
MAN
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
SKIN
SKIN DISEASES
TOXICITY
USA
VERTEBRATES
WATER POLLUTION