Abstract
An investigation into the cause of leucoderma among four tappet assembly workers revealed the presence of 4-tertiary butyl catechol (TBC) in the assembly oil. This substance was able to depigment black guinea pig skin in 5% and 10% concentrations in a variety of vehicles. The TBC is an irritant to guinea pig, rabbit, and human skin in concentrations of 0.5% or greater. Three of the four affected workers had positive patch tests to 0.1% TBC in acetone, and one developed depigmentation at the patch test site, which persisted during two months of observation. Attempts to sensitize ten albino guinea pigs to TBC were unsuccessful. The non-specific irritant effect of the carrier assembly oil blend was demonstrated. It is not possible at this time to relate the presence of depigmentation from TBC in exposed workers to the observed allergic contact dermatitis. Most likely these are unrelated phenomena.
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