Phytophotodermatitis

[KostasVolos]

Phyto ( greek : φυτό / plant )
Photo ( greek : φώτο /φως / light )
Dermatitis ( greek : δερματίτιδα / skin inflammation )

Phytophotodermatitis : A skin inflammation caused by the combination of contact with plant sap ( of certain plant families ) and sunlight ( UV ) exposure .
That's what the doctor said .
Lucky me ,it was a rather minor damage .One member of the crew not so lucky .He is in hospital with severe 2nd degree photochemical burns.From his waist until the base of his neck ,both front and back he was full of huge blisters his wife said ,when he got to the hospital ( about 2-3 days after contact with the tree sap ) .

He was limbing and bucking a rather large fig tree,
for loading and disposal.
Was working half naked ,( waist up of course ) due to high heat ( about 100 F ) .

I had took down the tree myself ,wearing a t-shirt ,but some sap spray got me .
Not much ...



Last time that had to fell a fig tree was years ago and must have been during winter ,otherwise I would've known what to expect ...

Seems that Osage Orange may has the same effect ( Moraceae family ,same as fig trees,mulberry ,etc ) ?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytophotodermatitis
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moraceae
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furanocoumarin

 

[Del_]

The more you know the more there is to know.

I believe that walnut can cause the same reaction.

 

[stihlruns]

I've never had an ill effects from Osage Orange (hedge) or Mulberry, and we'll cut plenty of those in all weather conditions -- maybe they're not as potent as the common fig. It's good to know.

 

[lone wolf]

Walnut sure has a rash causing agent in it also, don't get the dust in your eyes.

 

[pdqdl]

I've never had an ill effects from Osage Orange (hedge) or Mulberry, and we'll cut plenty of those in all weather conditions -- maybe they're not as potent as the common fig. It's good to know.

Walnut sure has a rash casing agent in it also, don't get the dust in your eyes.

I've never had any of my employees complain about skin irritations from either of these. Both Walnut and Mulberry are quite common in our area, as well.
Quite a few folks don't like sycamore trees, but I think that's on account of the fibers they fill the air with while sawing them up.

Myself, I seem to be impervious to all the toxic plants. I've heard bad things about the manchineel tree, and Australia seems to have several particularly noxious plants.



I kinda want to go to Australia just to give it a bit of a test.
That might be a mistake, however.

 

[lone wolf]

I've never had any of my employees complain about skin irritations from either of these. both Walnut and Mulberry are quite common in our area, as well.
Quite a few folks don't like sycamore trees, but I think that's on account of the fibers they fill the air with while sawing them up.

Myself, I seem to be impervious to all the toxic plants. I've heard bad things about the manchineel tree, and Australia seems to have several particularly noxious plants.



I kinda want to go to Australia just to give it a bit of a test.
That might be a mistake, however.

Well cut some walnut when you are sweating on a hot day let some sit on your forearms and report back.

 

[lone wolf]

https://www.finewoodworking.com/forum/is-walnut-dangerous-toxic

 

[pdqdl]

Well cut some walnut when you are sweating on a hot day let some sit on your forearms and report back.

Are you kidding? I've been cutting up walnut trees since 1985. The very first tree I climbed with a chainsaw was a walnut. I've been literally covered with sawdust and juices from those trees, and it can sit on me all day in august and I'll not notice the slightest irritation.

Like I said, I have no problem with them. And none of my guys has ever reported a problem.

I think you guys are making this up, because those trees are quite prolific. We've got them all over town, and no other tree climber I have hired in the last 35 years has ever commented that they had a health problem with walnuts.

I don't consider that a few allergic people on a woodworking website qualifies walnut as a dermally dangerous tree.

I personally don't have any problems working with walnut, and do not find them to be even slightly irritating.

Do any of you guys that actually get covered with walnut sawdust ever experience skin irritation from them?

Respiratory problems?

 

[KostasVolos]

Walnut :
Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Black Walnut has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

https://www.wood-database.com/black-walnut/
Wallnut may cause an allergic reaction to SOME people,but not
to everybody.
In contrast, phytophotodermatitis is not an allergic reaction.
There's no person with resistance to it.
Neither one can build resistance.
It is a photochemical toxic inflammation that everyone is subject to;
"A reaction may be elicited in any person who has been exposed to adequate amounts of both a photosensitizer and ultraviolet light. Phytophotodermatitis is not an immunologic response; no prior exposure to the photosensitizing agent is required. "

 

[wcorey]

Giant Hogweed is also known for that...

 

[pdqdl]

There's no person with resistance to it.

That's kind of a firm statement. You should be aware that not all people react the same way to chemical reactions, entirely apart from immunological considerations.

Ask anybody in the pharmaceutical industry. You might take a drug and have nothing but great results. Other folks might develop adverse reactions that prevent them from taking the medicine.

Common ibuprofen is an example of this. I could eat them like candy, and never have any stomach problems. Other folks are quite sensitive to all the COX-2 inhibitors, and they have stomach upset in short order. You & I might be taking Celebrex. You might fall over dead after a few months of exposure from a heart problem, and I might walk pain free for years with no adverse affects.

The furocoumarins found in fig leaf sap are well known to cause the rash & blistering you reported. What you might not know is that it is also used to treat skin conditions like vitiligo and psoriasis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6340245/
Research on these plants has shown that sensitivity to phytophotodermatitis can indeed vary among individuals. Some factors that may influence sensitivity include skin type, pigmentation, and previous exposure to furocoumarins. For instance, fair-skinned individuals are generally more susceptible to phytophotodermatitis than those with darker skin.

 

[pdqdl]

Found this:
"This photosensitizing effect has traditionally been used for the treatment of cutaneous viral warts, a reflection of traditional medicine."

Since 2000 B.C. in fact!