JONY MALLIK
►SHIPYARD POISONING
Shipyard is a workplace where ships are built or repaired.Shipyard poisoning
are the group of poisoning occurs in the workmen of ship repairing
area.Various types of poisoning may occur at shipyard&it is mainly due to ship
breaking&repairing.
►SHIPBREAKING
Shipbreaking is the process of dismantling an obsolete vessel’s structure for
scrapping or disposal. Conducted at a pier, drydock or dismantling slip, it includes
a wide range of activities,from removing all gear and equipment to cutting down
and recycling the ship’s infrastructure.Shipbreaking is a challenging process, due
to the structural complexity of the ships and the many environmental, safety, and
health issues involved.
►HAZARD ASSOCIATES WITH THE SHIPBREAKING
Shipbreaking operations expose workers to a wide range of hazards or workplace
activities or conditions likely to cause injury or illness. These include the
following:
►Hazardous Exposures
■ Asbestos—in hanger liners, mastic under insulation, cloth over insulation,
cable, lagging and
insulation on pipes and hull, adhesive, gaskets on piping connections, and valve
packing.
■ Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)—in rubber products such as hoses,
plastic foam insulation,cables, silver paint, habitability paint, felt under septum
plates, plates on top of the hull bottom,
and primary paint on hull steel.
■ Lead—from lead and chromate paint, lead ballast, batteries, generators, and
motor
components.
■ Hazardous material and chemicals—including heavy metals in ship
transducers, ballast, and paint coatings; mercury in fluorescent light tubes,
thermometers, electrical switches, light fittings,fire detectors, and tank-level
indicators; and chloroflorocarbons (CFCs) in self-contained refrigeration devices
such as water coolers and small freezer units.
■ Excess noise—associated with grinding, hammering, metal cutting, and other
activities.
■ Fire—from ignited insulation, matting, lagging, and residual fuel; and from
lubricants and other flammable liquids.
►Hazardous Work Activities
■ Entry into confined, enclosed, and other dangerous atmospheres.
■ Paint removal.
■ Metal
cutting and disposal.
■ Powered industrial truck operations.
■ Work on elevated surfaces, particularly near deck openings and edges.
■ Bilge and ballast water removal.
■ Oil and fuel removal and tank cleaning.
■ Removal and disposal of ship’s machinery.
■ Operations involving cranes, gear, and equipment for material handling.
■ Cutting and welding operations and use of compressed gas.
■ Activities involving scaffolds, ladders, and working services.
»Following
are the explanation of the various types of poisoning that occur
with the workers of shipyard:-
ASBESTOS POISONING
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals exploited
commercially for their desirable physical properties.Asbestos poisoning is
typically found in those who have been subjected to high levels of asbestos for
long periods of time. Asbestos poisoning is most prominent in individuals who
work with the toxic fibers on a daily basis. Following is a list of some
occupations of individuals who may be at risk of asbestos poisoning:
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Shipyard workers
Pipe fitters
Electricians
Demolition workers
Power plant workers
Railroad workers
Plumbers, maintenance workers
►Diseases
»Asbestosis:
linked to asbestos poisoning:
This is caused when asbestos fibers get lodged in the lungs. The body’s natural
reaction is to try and breakdown the foreign fibers by secreting a natural acid.
The acid, however, is not effective and overtime this process can cause scarring
in the lungs and can lead to lung deterioration.
»Lung cancer:
The risk of developing lung cancer is greatly increased by smoking. Individuals
who have been exposed to asbestos should not smoke.
»Mesothelioma:
This is a rare form of cancer that attacks the outer tissue of the lungs.
Mesothelioma is solely attributed to asbestos poisoning and can take up to 50
years to develop. Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestosrelated diseases.
►Symptoms of Pleural & Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the
pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain
and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of
peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting
abnormalities, anemia and fever
►Mesothelioma
Treatments
Medical researchers say there are a number of innovations in the treatment of
malignant mesothelioma that, while not a cure, show promise in helping to treat
the disease.
»Alimta
Alimta is a chemotherapy drug recently approved by the FDA that, when given
with another chemotherapy drug called cisplatin, is used for the treatment of
patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
»Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy uses special drugs and a special type of light to kill
cancer cells during surgery. The treatment is being studied for early stages of
malignant mesothelioma.
»Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is being studied as a treatment for malignant mesothelioma by
using the power of the body’s own immune system.
»Gene Therapy
Gene therapy is an approach to treating potentially fatal or disabling diseases
like mesothelioma by modifying the expression of an individual’s genes toward
a therapeutic goal. The premise of gene therapy is based on correcting disease
at the DNA level and compensating for the abnormal genes.
»Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is radiation therapy applied from within the body. Radioactive
sources are placed in or near the mesothelioma tumor, giving a high radiation
dose while reducing the radiation exposure in surrounding healthy tissues. This
precision can help to minimize side effects.
»Asbestos Cancer Radiation Therapy
External beam radiation is popular among patients receiving treatment for
pleural and peritoneal cancer. Pericardial cancer patients may also utilize
radiation in the control of their cancer, but in lower dosages considering the
region's proximity to the heart. Radiation therapy is considered useful for
palliation as well to prevent malignant cells from taking hold again following
surgery.
»Shipyards Pose High Risk of Exposure
Shipyards are a high-risk asbestos area. Consequently, shipbuilders run the risk
of exposure to asbestos. If a person has worked as a shipbuilder or in any
profession in which they’ve been exposed to fiberglass or asbestos, it is
imperative that they seek medical attention immediately to assess their risk for
developing an asbestos disease.
»Shipbreaking and Poly-Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
The sampling, removal, storage, and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) is a primary environmental concern, as well as a worker health and
safety concern, during ship scrapping. As described below, PCBs are found
throughout older vessels and it is likely ship scrapping facilities will be faced
with managing large quantities of PCBs.
Due to their non-flammability, chemical stability, high boiling point and
electrical insulating properties, PCBs were used in hundreds of industrial and
commercial applications including electrical, heat transfer, and hydraulic
equipment; as plasticizers in paints, plastics and rubber products; in pigments,
dyes and carbonless copy paper; and many other applications. More than 1.5
billion pounds of PCBs were manufactured in the United States before
production was stopped in 1979.
LEAD POISONING
Lead is a naturally occurring, but highly toxic metal. Because it is abundant,
inexpensive, and easy to work with, lead and lead compounds have been used
since ancient times for a variety of purposes including wine storage, paints,
ceramics, solder, pipes, gasoline, batteries, glass, fine crystal and even
cosmetics. In ships, lead paint is often used on the metal plates that are welded
to form iron hulls. When that paint is welded, scraped or cut, dust is released in
the air.
Despite its usefulness, lead is a potent neurotoxin that when ingested or inhaled
can accumulate in soft tissues and in bone.
Toxicity of Lead
►Neurotoxicity
Significant affect on timing of cell-to-cell connections – get
modified neural circuits in central nervous system
 Demyelination and axon degeneration in peripheral nervous
system
 Interference with synaptic transmissions – Pb substitutes for Ca at
synapse
►Hematological Toxicity
 Anemia
 Fragile RBC membrane shortens RBC lifespan
 Impairment of heme synthesis
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Effects on myoglobin and CYP
 Myoglobin and CYPs also contain heme
►Pb inhibits heme synthesis at several key points in pathway
Aminolaevulinate synthetase
 Aminolaevulinate dehydrase
 Ferrochelatase
 Haem oxidase
 Coproporphyronogen oxidase
►Renal Toxicity
 Acute exposure can cause reversible renal damage
 Chronic exposure causes permanent renal damage. Get impaired
ATP production in mitochondria of proximal tube cells of
nephron.
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TREATMENT OF LEAD POISONING
►Chelation therapy
DMSA(also called Chemet, Succimer or Dimercaptosuccinic acid)
EDTA(Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid)
BAL (British anti-lewisite or dimercaprol)
MERCURY POISONING
Mercury poisoning (also known as hydrargyria or mercurialism) is a disease
caused by exposure to mercury or its compounds.
»Symptoms of mercury poisoning
*Brain and central nervous system, causing:o
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lower IQs
headaches
memory problems
reduced coordination
learning disabilities
irritability
hyperactivity
increased sleeping
decreased activity and fatigue
hearing loss
vomiting
slow reflexes
muscle weakness, affecting mainly the upper extremities
seizures, coma, hypertension in high levels
*Gastrointestinal system, causing:
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constipation
diarrhea
abdominal pain
vomiting
poor appetite
weight loss
»Mercury - Absorption
• Inhalation :
60-80%
• Dermal :
3-15%
• GI Tract :
Metallic <0.2%
Inorganic 15%
Organic 90+%
»Diagnosis of Mercury poisoning
• Blood mercury:
– only really useful acutely
– normal <10µg/l
– symptoms with blood mercury >150-200µg/l
• Urine mercury:
– probably the most reliable indicator
– normal <10µg/l
– symptoms with urine mercury >100-150µg/l
• Radiology: for elemental ingestion/aspiration/injection
»Treatment of Mercury poisoning
• Remove from source
• Supportive care
– particularly important with inhalation
• DMPS Chelation (2,3-Dimercapto-1-propanesulphonate)
Chelation therapy of choice for mercury
For both acute and chronic mercury poisoning
For all forms of Hg (inorganic > metallic >> organic)
»Acute
Mercury Vapour Poisoning in a Shipyard Worker—A
Case Report
Acute mercury vapour poisoning is a serious, potentially fatal but fortunately
rarely encountered problem. It is most commonly due to industrial accidents.
The vapour is a direct respiratory tract irritant as well as a cell poison, exerting
its greatest effects in the lungs, nervous system, kidneys and liver. We present a
case of mercury vapour poisoning in a shipyard worker presenting as an acute
chemical pneumonitis, which resolved with aggressive supportive therapy.
Further investigations later revealed transient mild neuropsychiatric symptoms,
and residual peripheral neuropathy. No chelation therapy was instituted. The
detailed investigative work that led to the discovery of the source of mercury is
also presented.
This case alerts us to the potential hazard to shipyard workers who may work in
ships previously carrying oil contaminated with mercury.
There have been no previous reports of mercury poisoning in shipyard workers.
REFERENCES:www.asbestoswatchdog.co.uk
www.cancer.org
www.medscape.com