Heart Disease in Workers Exposed to Dinitrotoluene

Cardiovascular mortality among munitions workers exposed to nitroglycerin and dinitrotoluene.

“…This finding is in contrast with the results of a report by Levine and his co-workers (18) from the CUT of a significant excessof IHD mortality (SMR 1.43) among workers exposed to DNT at both US Army armament facilities studied. Our study site was one of the facilities included in the CUT investigation; however, its report included workers from a somewhat different time period (1940)(1941)(1942)(1943)(1944)(1945)(1946)(1947)(1948)(1949)(1950)(1951)(1952)(1953)(1954)(1955)(1956)(1957)(1958)(1959) than ours ).…”

“…Dinitrotoluene (DNT) has also been recently reported to be associated with an increased risk of mortality from IHD in a study from the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology (CIIT) (18). The CIIT study was conducted to examine the potential carcinogenicity of DNT, in response to findings of an increased incidence of cancers of the liver, connective tissue, and kidney among DNT exposed rodents (19)(20)(21).…”

Cardiovascular diseases and the work environment. A critical review of the epidemiologic literature on chemical factors.

“…In 1986, Levine et al (278) published a historical prospective study of workers in two factories in which the employees had been exposed to dinitrotoluene (278). As in so many other instances, it was a suspicion of carcinogenicity which motivated the study, but no increased incidence of cancer was found among these workers.…”

Workplace Air Quality at Explosive Material Manufacturing and Handling Units

“…Significant increase in mortality due to circulatory diseases 22 and significant reduction in sperm counts in workers employed in munitions plants, have been reported. The dinitrotoluene (DNT) isomers, which are the intermediates of TNT, are absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, and skin in most species 23 .…”