Abstract
Studies on absorption, elimination and metabolism of carbon disulfide in animals were already reported by R. W. McKee and others. Metabolism of carbon disulfide in the human body, however, has not yet been fully explained. The author reported the balance sheet of carbon disulfide experimentally inhaled by the human body. According to the reported data the amount of carbon disulfide eliminated through the lung was eight to fourty six per cent of that retained, of which less than one per cent was excreted through the skin or the kidney. The remainder of carbon disulfide retained by the body was unknown as to its fate and was suspected of being metaboized in the body. The present report is concerned with the metabolism of retained carbon disulfide in the human body. If this is to be metabolized to sulfate sulfur, the content of the latter in the urine of carbon disulfide workers is expected to increase under the condition. In order to obtain the evidence for it, the amount of total sulfate sulfur in the urine was detemined. At the same time, nitrogen in the urine was analyzed in order to ascess the amount of sulfate sulfur due to oxidation of proteins or sulfur containing amino acids. Then, the ratio of nitrogen to sulfate sulfur in the ureine was calculated. These ratios obtained in one hundred and six staple fibre workers were compared with those of eighty four controls which were not exposed to carbon disulfide at all. Results obtained were as follows: 1. The content of total sulfate sulfur excrected in the urine of carbon disulfide workers was larger than in the controls, even though total sulfate sulfur due to sulfur containing amino acids was not taken into consideration. 2. The average value of the ratios of nitrogen to total sulfate sulfur in the urine of the controls was 15.2, while the ratios of carbon disulfide workers were between 12 and 14. The average of the latter was significantly smaller than that of the controls. 3. The variation of ratios of urinary nitrogen to total sulfate sulfur had a negative correlation to carbon disulfide concentration in the expired air, which changed in parallel with that in the inhaled air. It was concluded that a significant portion of retained carbon disulfide sulfur was oxidized in the human body and the metabolites were excreted in the urine as sulfate sulfur.
