1.1 What is pyridine? |
1.2 How might I be exposed to pyridine? |
1.3 How can pyridine enter and leave my
body? |
1.4 How can pyridine affect my health? |
1.5 Is there a medical test to determine
whether I have been exposed to pyridine? |
1.6 What recommendations has the federal
government made to protect human health? |
1.7 Where can I get more information? |
References |
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September 1992 |
Public Health Statement |
for |
Pyridine |
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This Public Health Statement is the
summary chapter from the Toxicological
Profile for pyridine. It is one in a series of Public
Health Statements about hazardous substances and their health
effects. A shorter version, the ToxFAQs™,
is also available. 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. For more information, call the ATSDR Information
Center at 1-888-422-8737.
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This Statement was prepared to give you
information about pyridine and to emphasize the human health
effects that may result from exposure to it. The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 1,177 sites on its
National Priorities List (NPL). Pyridine has been found at
4 of these sites. However, we do not know how many of the
1,177 NPL sites have been evaluated for pyridine. As EPA evaluates
more sites, the number of sites at which pyridine is found
may change. This information is important for you to know
because pyridine may cause harmful health effects and because
these sites are potential or actual sources of human exposure
to pyridine.
When a chemical is released from a large
area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such
as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment as a chemical
emission. This emission, which is also called a release, does
not always lead to exposure. You can be exposed to a chemical
only when you come into contact with the chemical. You may
be exposed to it in the environment by breathing, eating,
or drinking substances containing the chemical or from skin
contact with it.
If you are exposed to a hazardous chemical
such as pyridine, several factors will determine whether harmful
health effects will occur and what the type and severity of
those health effects will be. These factors include the dose
(how much), the duration (how long), the route or pathway
by which you are exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or
skin contact), the other chemicals to which you are exposed,
and your individual characteristics such as age, sex, nutritional
status, family traits, life style, and state of health.
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1.1
What is pyridine? |
Pyridine is a flammable colorless liquid
with an unpleasant smell. It can be made from crude coal tar
or from other chemicals. Pyridine is used as a solvent and
to make many different products such as medicines, vitamins,
food flavorings, pesticides, paints, dyes, rubber products,
adhesives, and waterproofing for fabrics. Pyridine can also
be formed from the breakdown of many natural materials in
the environment. Many of the foods that you eat have flavors
that are the result of complex compounds that contain pyridine.
Liquid pyridine evaporates into the air
very easily. If pyridine is released to the air, it may take
several months to years until it breaks down into other compounds.
Pyridine also mixes very easily with water. If it is released
to water or soil, it may break down in a few days to few months.
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1.2
How might I be exposed to pyridine? |
Pyridine and pyridine-containing compounds
are present throughout the environment at very low levels.
Pyridine has been found in the air inside and around factories
that produce it or use it to make other products. You could
be exposed to pyridine if you work in one of these factories
or if you live or work near a hazardous waste site that releases
it to the surrounding air. Pyridine is also released into
the air from burning cigarettes and from hot coffee.
Pyridine is not usually found in rivers
or other natural waters. It has been found in wells in an
industrial area in Wyoming. The levels of pyridine in the
well water were as high as 53 parts of pyridine in 1 billion
parts of water (53 ppb). Pyridine is not usually found in
the soil near hazardous waste sites or in industrial areas.
Pyridine has been found in drinking water samples taken around
hazardous waste sites and industrial areas. However, we do
not know the levels. It is also found in certain foods such
as fried chicken, cheese, and fried bacon. Although the levels
in these foods are not known, they are probably very low and
are not expected to result in any health effects. The level
of pyridine in some frozen mango (a tropical fruit) was reported
to be 1 part of pyridine per million parts of mango (1 ppm).
You could be exposed to small amounts of pyridine if you eat
these foods or drink water containing pyridine.
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1.3
How can pyridine enter and leave my body? |
Pyridine can enter your body when you
breathe in air, drink water, or eat food that contains this
chemical, or by skin contact with the chemical. When it enters
your body by mouth, more than half of it is absorbed. Within
1 day, most of what was absorbed leaves your body in urine
as pyridine itself or its breakdown products. We do not know
what happens to the rest of it. There is also no information
about what happens to pyridine that is breathed in or gets
on your skin.
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1.4
How can pyridine affect my health? |
Very few studies have been conducted
to determine the possible effects of pyridine exposure on
human health. From case reports on humans and studies in animals,
we think the most important health concern for humans exposed
to pyridine will be damage to the liver. Other health concerns
for humans may be neurological effects, renal effects, and
irritation of the skin and eye. We do not know whether pyridine
can cause cancer, birth defects, or problems with reproduction.
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1.5
Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed
to pyridine? |
Tests can be used to find out whether
you have been recently exposed to pyridine. These tests measure
levels of pyridine in urine and blood. They use special equipment
and are done in special laboratories, so they are not usually
available in a doctor's office. The levels of pyridine in
urine or blood cannot be used, however, to find out how much
pyridine you were exposed to or whether specific harmful effects
will occur.
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1.6
What recommendations has the federal government made to protect
human health? |
The federal government has set certain
regulations and guidelines to help protect people from the
possible health effects of pyridine in the environment. The
EPA has not set limits on the amount of pyridine that may
be present in drinking water. The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) has set an average air exposure
level of 5 ppm for an 8-hour day, 40-hour work week. The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set
3,600 ppm in air as the level that is immediately dangerous
to life and health (IDLH). The American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), which is a special nongovernment
group set up to protect workers, also recommends 5 ppm for
an 8-hour day.
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1.7
Where can I get more information? |
If you have any more questions or concerns, please contact
your community or state health or environmental quality department or:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Information line and technical assistance:
Phone: 888-422-8737
FAX: (770)-488-4178
ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health
clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses
resulting from exposure to hazardous substances.
To order toxicological profiles, contact:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000
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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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