Carbon disulfide

Carbon disulfide (CS₂), clear, inflammable liquid chemical compound, composed of 1 carbon atom and 2 sulfur atoms, used in the manufacture of viscose rayon and cellophane, as a solvent for fats, rubber, resins, waxes, and sulfur, and in matches, fumigants, and pesticides. It is a typical toxic industrial chemical. The principal route of exposure in humans is by inhalation; skin contact is much less significant, and other routes are of negligible importance. Carbon disulfide is distributed in an organism through the bloodstream. Readily soluble in fats and lipids and binding to amino acids and proteins, it disappears rapidly from the bloodstream and has a high affinity for all tissues and organs. Hyperactive poisoning caused by massive short-term exposure to high concentrations of carbon disulfide is characterized by sudden coma and eventual death. Cases of poisoning due to relatively short exposures to concentrations of 3,000–5,000 mg per cubic meter are predominantly associated with psychiatric and neurological symptoms: (1) extreme irritability, (2) uncontrolled anger, (3) rapid mood changes, (4) hallucinations, (5) paranoia and suicidal tendencies, and (6) manic delirium. Other symptoms include: (1) memory defects, (2) severe insomnia, (3) nightmares, (4) fatigue, (5) loss of appetite, and (6) gastrointestinal problems. Exposure over many years may produce chronic damage to the brain at first associated with psychological and behavioral changes, later with neurological changes, both in the brain and peripheral nerves. Changes in the blood vessels due to exposure are similar to those of atherosclerosis and mainly affect the arteries supplying the brain and heart muscle. Incidence of coronary heart disease is disproportionately high in exposed workers.

See also: Sulfide.