ABSTRACT
Historically, within the fi elds of toxicology, occupational medicine, and industrial hygiene, the nose and nasal function have garnered little attention as targets for toxic agents, in particular, when compared with other organs and organ systems. The nose has been viewed predominantly as a respiratory organ, functioning to fi lter and humidify inspired air and to detect chemicals via odor. Until recently, little emphasis has been given to its importance as a portal of entry for environmental toxicants and its role in vapor and particulate capture and removal. Furthermore, systemic effects from nasal uptake have only recently been considered in the context of exogenous exposures to metals and viruses. In this chapter we aim to clarify the importance and functionality of the nose in humans and to summarize the latest knowledge about the adverse effects associated with exposure
to occupational and environmental toxicants on the nose and nasal function, including olfactory dysfunction, sensory irritation, irritant rhinitis, sinusitis, septal perforation, and neoplasms. Because the majority of data on nasal toxicology from occupational and environmental toxicants derives from subchronic and chronic exposure studies in animals we will necessarily review the evidence from those but will primarily focus on the documented adverse effects of exposure in humans. We will also discuss the anatomical and metabolic factors that complicate the extrapolation of data from animal exposure assays to human risk assessment.
