September 1995 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Pyridine |
(Piridina) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about pyridine. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. This information is important
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure
to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether
other chemicals are present.
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SUMMARY: Everyone is exposed
to very low levels of pyridine in air, water, and food.
Workers who make or use the chemical may be exposed to
higher levels of it. Studies in people and animals suggest
that pyridine may damage the liver. This chemical has
been found in at least 11 of 1,416 National Priorities
List sites identified by the Environmental Protection
Agency. |
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What
is pyridine? |
Pyridine is a colorless liquid with an
unpleasant smell. It can be made from crude coal tar or from
other chemicals.
Pyridine is used to dissolve other substances.
It is also used to make many different products such as medicines,
vitamins, food flavorings, paints, dyes, rubber products,
adhesives, insecticides, and herbicides. Pyridine can also
be formed from the breakdown of many natural materials in
the environment.
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What
happens to pyridine when it enters the environment? |
- Pyridine is primarily released to the environment from
industries that make and use this chemical.
- Pyridine evaporates into the air very easily.
- In the air, it may take several months or years until
it breaks down into other compounds.
- Pyridine is very soluble in water.
- In water or soil, it may be broken down in a few days
to a few months by microscopic organisms.
- Pyridine sticks to soil particles.
- Pyridine probably doesn't build up in plants or animals.
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How
might I be exposed to pyridine? |
- Everyone is exposed to very low levels of pyridine in
air, water, and food.
- Workers may be exposed in industries that make pyridine
or use it to make other products by breathing it in air
or by touching it.
- People may breathe pyridine when it is released into the
air from burning cigarettes and from hot coffee.
- People who live near hazardous waste sites or landfills
where pyridine exists may be exposed to it by breathing
contaminated air or by drinking contaminated water.
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How
can pyridine affect my health? |
Very little information is available
on the health effects of pyridine. Animal studies and some
limited case reports in people have noted liver damage from
exposure to pyridine.
Two patients with epilepsy had damage
to the liver and kidneys after ingesting some pyridine. We
do not know if the pyridine caused these effects because the
patients were taking several other medications at the same
time. Harmful effects to the liver were also seen in rats
and mice that were given pyridine for three months.
Headaches, giddiness, a desire to sleep,
quickening of the pulse, and rapid breathing occurred in adults
who breathed an unknown amount of pyridine for an unknown
length of time.
Mild skin irritation and eye irritation
were seen in rabbits when pyridine was placed on their skin
or in their eyes.
We do not know whether pyridine affects
the ability of men and women to have children or whether it
causes birth defects.
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How
likely is pyridine to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services,
the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) have not classified pyridine as to
its human carcinogenicity.
No studies are available in people or
animals on the carcinogenic effects of pyridine.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to pyridine? |
There are medical tests available to
measure levels of pyridine in urine and blood. However, these
tests are not usually performed in most doctors' offices because
special equipment is needed to conduct them.
These tests can't tell how much pyridine
you were exposed to or if harmful health effects will occur
from the exposure to pyridine.
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Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
The EPA requires that discharges or accidental
spills into the environment of 1,000 pounds or more of pyridine
be reported.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
allows pyridine to be used as a flavoring agent in the preparation
of foods.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set an occupational exposure limit of 5 parts of
pyridine per million parts of workplace air (5 ppm) for an
8-hour workday over a 40-hour workweek.
The National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the American Conference of Governmental
and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) have established the same
guidelines as OSHA for pyridine exposure levels in the workplace.
NIOSH has recommended that 1,000 ppm
be considered immediately dangerous to life and health. This
is the exposure level of a chemical that is likely to cause
permanent health problems or death.
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Glossary |
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
Evaporate: To change into a vapor or
a gas.
Herbicide: A chemical that kills weeds
and other plants.
Ingesting: Taking food or drink into
your body.
Insecticide: A chemical used to kill
insects.
ppm: Parts per million.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1992. Toxicological Profile for pyridine. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
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Where can I get more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns. For more information, contact:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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