ETHYLENEBISDITHIOCARBAMATES AND ETHYLENETHIOUREA - POSSIBLE HUMAN HEALTH-HAZARDS

Humans are exposed to ethylenebisdithiocarbamates (EBDCs) from environ mental sources. Exposure to EBDCs is chronic for workers in a variety of industries where EBDCs are used for their properties as slimicides, vulcanization accelerators, antioxidants, and scavengers in waste-wat er treatment. EBDCs, and particularly the EBDC metabolite ethylenethio urea, have clearly defined, important toxic effects in various animal species, and there is reason to suspect they are carcinogenic in human s. In the absence of definitive information regarding human risk, furt her studies need to be done. In the interim, regular surveillance of w orkers with high levels of exposure to EBDCs, with specific attention to markers of thyroid and hepatic pathology, should be considered.