Thallium toxicity: The problem; an analytical approach; an antidotal study. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Mon Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:6428569

Mulkey, J P

Thallium (Tl) is a highly toxic metal that is anthropogenically concentrated in the environment. Tl toxicity and the quantitative analysis of trace levels of Tl in biologic materials by atomic absorption spectroscopy is reviewed; a study designed to evaluate the antidotal efficacy of 2 compounds in the treatment of acute Tl toxicity in rats is documented. Unithiol (2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid, DMPS) and prussian blue (potassium ferric hexacyanoferrate(II), PB), given alone and in combination, were evaluated as antidotes in the treatment of acute thallotoxicosis in male Sprauge-Dawley rats. The relative accumulation of Tl in organs was kidney>>heart>liver-brain. PB induced significant decorporation of Tl from all tissues. DMPS failed to significantly decrease the Tl content in any organ, but significantly decreased the Tl content in whole blood. PB+DMPS treatment significantly decreased the Tl content in all organs, but to no greater extent than PB alone. PB and PB+DMPS treatments significantly increased the Tl content of feces, whereas DMPS treatment alone produced little effect. This study indicates that PB is a beneficial antidote in the treatment of acute thallotoxicosis in rats. The failure of DMPS to significantly decrease the Tl content in 4 target organs suggests it would not be useful in the treatment of Tl poisoning....Thallium, Poison, Antidote, Chelator, Prussian blue, Potassium ferric hexacyanoferrate(II), Unithiol, 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid, Rat.

• Research Organization: Army Student Detachment, Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN (United States)
• OSTI ID: 6428569
• Report Number(s): AD-A-263193/5/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ABSORPTION
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ALKALI METALS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BLOOD
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
BRAIN
BUILDUP
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
COLOR
DATA
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DITHIOLS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENT
EVALUATED DATA
FECES
GLANDS
HEART
INFORMATION
IRON
LIVER
MALES
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
METALS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUMERICAL DATA
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
ORGANS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POISONING
POTASSIUM
QUANTIZATION
RATS
REAGENTS
RODENTS
SORPTION
SPECTROSCOPY
SULFONIC ACIDS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
THALLIUM
THIOLS
TISSUES
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UNITHIOL
VERTEBRATES
WASTES