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Environmental Medicine Integrating a Missing Element into Medical Education (1995) / Chapter Skim
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Case Study 25: Paint Remover Hazard
Pages 512-515

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From page 512...
... The label cautioned that the product contained 809`o methylene chloride by weight and was to be used only with adequate ventilation. No causal relationship between the inhalation of the paint remover vapor and the acute anterior myocardial infarction was made.
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From page 513...
... To confirm this isolated observation, a series of -experiments were conducted in which 21 male and nine female volunteers were exposed to CH2Cl2 vapor concentrations of 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1,000 ppm for varying periods of time. A prompt elevation of COHb was observed in each subject exposed to CH2C12.2 7 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Paint Remover Exposure.—To investigate the potential of paint and varnish removers that contain CH2C12 to elevate COHb to toxic levels, four three-hour paint stripping operations were carried out in a controlled-enviJAMA, Jan 26, 1976—Vol 235, No 4 513 0 1 2 2 3 4 .
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From page 514...
... It has been well documented that elevation of COHb level to saturations greater than 5% can adversely affect patients with angina pectoris or cardiovascular disease.9-'2 Exercise tolerance is decreased and anginal pain is of longer duration. Yet paint stripping for turn~ture refinishing purposes has become extremely popular with older persons.l3 Until recently, a prominent Milwaukee hospital introduced paint stripping and furniture refinishing to coronary vein bypass patients in the early convalescent period.
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From page 515...
... The legal responsibility for protecting the public currently rests with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. It has remained mute, as did the governmental agency originally responsible, the Environmental Protection Agency, when in 1971 the CH2Cl2 hazard was formally called to its attention.
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Key Terms

  • paint remover
  • methylene chloride
  • paint stripping
  • carbon monoxide
  • breathing zone

  • paint removers
  • cohb levels
  • heart disease
  • elevated cohb
  • cardiovascular stress

  • varnish remover
  • myocardial infarction
  • intern med
  • coronary care
  • cohb saturation

  • stress produced
  • furniture refinishing
  • ann intern
  • remover containing
  • coronary heart

  • basement workshop
  • angina pectoris
  • hours following
  • vapor concentration
  • gel paint

  • gas cell
  • liquid gel
  • level resulting
  • retrosternal pain
  • following exposure


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