Adenocarcinoma of larynx as an occupational disease – a case study

Summary

Toxicology – as a science discipline – studies the impact of adverse effects of chemical substances on the organism. During the assessment of health risks related to chemical substances, the attention is paied not only to properties of the chemical substance itself (structure, chemical properties, state of aggregation) but also to circumstances related to exposure to the chemical substance (dose, duration, repeated exposure, entrance to organism). Some chemical substances which are important for health in small doses may be on the contrary very toxic to organism in high doses (e.g. zinc, manganese, copper, selenium, chromium, nickel).

A number of chemical substances have also mutagenic, teratogenic, embryotoxic and carcinogenic effects on human organism. The substances (according to IARC classification, group 1) with sufficiently proved carcinogenity include compounds of 6-valent chromium. Professional exposure occurs in ore mining, chromium and chromium compounds production, melting anticorrosive steel. Chromium compounds are used in production of colours, anticorrosive substances, in ceramic and rubber industry, in conservation of wood, in pyrotechnical production and in galvanizing shops in chromium baths. The case study of 52 year old galvanizer with adenocarcinoma of larynx exposed to 6-valent chromium is presented.

Key words:
chemical substances, chromium, intoxication, tumours of larynx, carcinoma of larynx