Doxorubicin (CAS: 23214-92-8) and its hydrochloride (CAS: 25136 40 9) are organic chemicals soluble in water. It is
a cytostatic drug from the group of anthracycline antibiotics, used in antimitotic antitumor chemotherapy, primarily
by intravenous, intravesical, and also in the case of lung cancer in the form of an aerosol for inhalation. In Poland,
according to data from the Central Data Register on Exposure to Chemicals, Mixtures Thereof, Factors or Technological
Processes with Carcinogenic or Mutagenic Effect, conducted at the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź, the
number of people exposed to doxorubicin and its hydrochloride in 2016 totaled 587. Administration of doxorubicin
or its hydrochloride to patients at therapeutic doses may lead to myelosuppression, cardiomyopathy and myocardial
fibrosis as well as neurotoxicity. Adverse effects of doxorubicin administration included cough, shortness of breath,
chest pain, wheezing, hoarseness, hemoptysis, and bronchospasm. Systemic toxicity was defined as mild and transient
and included sore throat, anorexia, dysgeusia, fatigue, nausea, tongue pain, tachycardia. Doxorubicin manufacturers
state in their safety data sheets that inhalation of dust or aerosol is hazardous to health, may cause discomfort and
nuisance, nausea, vomiting, bone marrow suppression, stomatitis, hair loss, and cardiotoxicity. Animal carcinogenicity
studies have shown that doxorubicin was carcinogenic to rats after intravenous and subcutaneous administration,
mainly causing mammary gland tumors. Doxorubicin has been shown to have genotoxic effects on somatic and
embryonic mouse cells. Doxorubicin is toxic for reproduction. It may damage fertility and the unborn child. In Poland
and in other countries, the highest permissible concentrations of doxorubicin and its hydrochloride in the work
environment have not yet been determined. Occupational exposure limits are recommended by its manufacturers:
FormuMax Scientific, Inc. and Pfizer at 0.0005 mg/m3. It was proposed to set up the MAC value for doxorubicin
and its hydrochloride at the equivalent concentration level up to 0.1% of the lowest inhalational therapeutic dose
found in the literature Dw = 0.04 mg/kg, i.e., 0.0003 mg/m3 – inhalable fraction. There are no substantive grounds to
determine the STEL value. It is recommended to label the substance with the notation “skin” – the absorption of the
substance through the skin may be just as important as when inhaled. The letters “Ft” should also be used – toxic for
reproduction, Carc. 1B – carcinogen category 1B and Muta. 1B – germ cell mutagen category 1B. This article discusses
the problems of occupational safety and health, which are covered by health sciences and environmental engineering.
Possible hazards of work environment in metal processing industry in Latvia
