Abstract

The suspicion that a newly developed detergent ingredient, sodium iso-nonanoyl oxybenzene sulphonate (SINOS), was inducing asthma among a workforce led to a series of inhalation challenge tests to determine the specificity and dose response characteristics of its asthma provoking properties. Three previously exposed workers, three non-exposed non-asthmatic controls, and three non-exposed asthmatic controls were challenged with SINOS 0.01-100 micrograms and another chemically similar surface active detergent ingredient, linear alkyl benzene sulphonate (LAS) 0.01-100 micrograms. Asthmatic symptoms, late falls in FEV1, and increases in non-specific bronchial responsiveness were seen after the inhalation of SINOS in all three workers, confirming SINOS as a cause of occupational asthma. No changes were seen after the inhalation of SINOS in either group of control subjects nor after LAS in any subject. These findings suggest that SINOS causes asthma through a specific hypersensitivity mechanism unrelated to its surface active properties.