April 2002 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Blister Agents: HN-1, HN-2,
HN-3 (Nitrogen Mustards) |
(Agentes
que Causan Ampollas: Mostazas de Nitrógeno (HN-1, HN-2,
HN-3)) |
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CAS#
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HN-1 538-07-8 |
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HN-2 51-75-2 |
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HN-3 555-77-1 |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about nitrogen mustards. 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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HIGHLIGHTS: It is unlikely
that the general public will be exposed to nitrogen mustards
agents HN-1, HN-2, and HN-3. Exposure to vapors of nitrogen
mustards can damage the respiratory airways. Contact with
the skin or eyes may cause burns. When nitrogen mustards
are absorbed by the body, they may cause damage to bone
marrow and the immune system. Exposure to high levels
can cause death. Nitrogen mustards HN-1, HN-2, and HN-3
have not been identified in any of the 1,585 National
Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). |
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What
are nitrogen mustards? |
Nitrogen mustards (HN-1, HN-2, HN-3)
are colorless to yellow, oily liquids that evaporate very
slowly. HN-1 has a faint, fishy or musty odor. HN-2 has a
soapy odor at low concentrations and a fruity odor at higher
concentrations. HN-3 may smell like butter almond.
Although nitrogen mustards could be used
in chemical warfare, there are presently no records of such
use. HN-1 has been used to remove warts in the past, and HN-2
has been used sparingly in chemotherapy.
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What
happens to nitrogen mustards when they enter the environment? |
- Nitrogen mustards HN-1, HN-2, and HN-3 could enter the
environment from an accidental release.
- When released to air, nitrogen mustards will be broken
down by compounds that are found in the air, but they may
persist in air for a few days before being broken down.
- Nitrogen mustards will be broken down in water quickly,
and only small amounts may evaporate.
- Nitrogen mustards will be broken down in moist soil quickly,
and only small amounts may evaporate.
- Nitrogen mustards do not accumulate in the food chain.
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How
might I be exposed to nitrogen mustards? |
- The general population will not be exposed to nitrogen
mustards.
- The nitrogen mustards HN-1, HN-2, and HN-3 are not manufactured
in significant commercial quantities in the United States.
Although several of the nitrogen mustards have medicinal
uses and as chemical warfare agents, they were never stockpiled
as part of the U.S. chemical warfare inventory.
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How
can nitrogen mustards affect my health? |
If you breathe nitrogen mustard vapors,
you will likely experience such effects as nasal and sinus
pain or discomfort, pharyngitis, laryngitis, cough, and shortness
of breath. Damage to cells lining your airways may begin within
hours and get worse over the next several days. Exposure to
high levels could cause death.
Skin contact with nitrogen mustard vapors
or liquid, will likely cause initial swelling and rash, followed
by blistering. Contact with high levels of nitrogen mustards
can result in second- and third-degree burns. If nitrogen
mustards touch the eye, you may experience eye inflammation,
pain, swelling, corneal damage, burns, and even blindness.
If you swallow nitrogen mustards, you
will probably experience burning of the mouth, esophagus,
and stomach.
When nitrogen mustards are absorbed by
the body, they may cause damage to your immune system and
bone marrow.
There is some evidence that nitrogen
mustard treatment in humans may result in decreased fertility.
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How
likely are nitrogen mustards to cause cancer? |
The International Agency for Research
on Cancer (IARC) has classified nitrogen mustard HN-2 as probably
carcinogenic to humans, based on evidence that it causes leukemia
in humans and cancers of the lung, liver, uterus, and large
intestine in animals.
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How
can nitrogen mustards affect children? |
Children exposed to nitrogen mustards
would probably experience the same effects seen in exposed
adults. But we do not know whether children differ from adults
in their susceptibility to nitrogen mustards.
A few case reports have linked treatment
with HN-2 in pregnant mothers to changes in the unborn child.
Nitrogen mustards have been shown to cause damage to the fetus
in animals.
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How
can families reduce the risk of exposure to nitrogen mustards? |
Families are not likely to be exposed
to nitrogen mustards.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to nitrogen
mustards? |
There are no specific tests to indicate
whether you have been exposed to nitrogen mustards.
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Has
the federal government made recommendations to protect human
health? |
An Airborne Exposure Limit (as recommended
by the Surgeon General's Working Group, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services) of 0.003 milligrams of HN-1 per
cubic meter of air (0.003 mg/m³) has been established
as a time-weighted average (TWA) for the workplace.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 2002. Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents.
Volume III Medical Management Guidelines for Acute
Chemical Exposures: Blister Agents: HN-1, HN-2, HN-3 (Nitrogen
Mustards). 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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