Chemical accident with isoproturone in an industrial plant in Frankfurt am Main 27 January 1996
Heudorf, U.; Peters, M.
Gesundheitswesen ) 59(11): 661-666
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0941-3790 PMID: 9476428 Document Number: 470349
On 27 January 1996, about 1 ton of Isoproturone was released into the atmosphere due to an accident in a chemical plant located at Frankfurt-Griesheim, Germany. A nearby residential area was contaminated by up to 500 mg Isoproturon/m2. According to the published toxicological data and the contamination data, model calculations were performed demonstrating that the individual exposure remained below the LOEL. For better exposure and risk assessment urine biomonitoring was offered to the residents. HMEPMH, the main metabolite of Isoproturon was detected in 12% (19/154) of the participants in the test, with a maximum value of 14.2 micrograms/l, i.e. the internal exposure remained even below ADI. Control tests demonstrated the decrease of the soil contamination after some weeks, and by June 1996 Isoproturone was no longer detectable, neither in soil nor in vegetables.