BACKGROUND: Neurotoxicity of long-term exposure to toluene is known at higher levels than 50 ppm and is suspected at lower levels. METHODS: A cross-sectional study carried out in two printing plants on 129 blue collar workers explored such a low level exposure of toluene. With 231 samples of ambient air, toluene concentration was estimated from 0 to 18 ppm in Plant A (offset) and from 2 to 27 ppm in Plant B (heliogravure). Outside any period of acute exposure, the workers answered a self-administered questionnaire on neurotoxic symptoms, EUROQUEST, and performed six psychometric tests on a computer-assisted version of battery NES. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounders, we found significant relationships only between present exposure and Digit Span Forwards (DSF) performance (decrement is 1 digit for 40 ppm, P=0.04) and Digit Span Backwards (DSB) performance (decrement is 1 digit for 25 ppm, P=0.01). Neurotoxic symptoms were not significantly correlated with current exposure. No association was found between estimated cumulative exposure and either psychometric performances or neurotoxic symptoms. CONCLUSION: In this study, low present exposure levels to toluene were associated with decrements of memory test performances. Copyright 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
BACKGROUND:Neurotoxicity of long-term exposure to toluene is known at higher levels than 50 ppm and is suspected at lower levels. METHODS: A cross-sectional study carried out in two printing plants on 129 blue collar workers explored such a low level exposure of toluene. With 231 samples of ambient air, toluene concentration was estimated from 0 to 18 ppm in Plant A (offset) and from 2 to 27 ppm in Plant B (heliogravure). Outside any period of acute exposure, the workers answered a self-administered questionnaire on neurotoxic symptoms, EUROQUEST, and performed six psychometric tests on a computer-assisted version of battery NES. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounders, we found significant relationships only between present exposure and Digit Span Forwards (DSF) performance (decrement is 1 digit for 40 ppm, P=0.04) and Digit Span Backwards (DSB) performance (decrement is 1 digit for 25 ppm, P=0.01). Neurotoxic symptoms were not significantly correlated with current exposure. No association was found between estimated cumulative exposure and either psychometric performances or neurotoxic symptoms. CONCLUSION: In this study, low present exposure levels to toluene were associated with decrements of memory test performances. Copyright 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Authors: Krishnan Sriram; Amy M Jefferson; Gary X Lin; Aliakbar Afshari; Patti C Zeidler-Erdely; Terence G Meighan; Walter McKinney; Mark Jackson; Amy Cumpston; Jared L Cumpston; Howard D Leonard; David G Frazer; James M Antonini Journal: Inhal Toxicol Date: 2014-10 Impact factor: 2.724
Authors: Emily J Werder; Lawrence S Engel; Aaron Blair; Richard K Kwok; John A McGrath; Dale P Sandler Journal: Environ Res Date: 2019-05-04 Impact factor: 6.498
Authors: Andreas Seeber; Michael Schäper; Michaela Zupanic; Meinolf Blaszkewicz; Peter Demes; Ernst Kiesswetter; Christoph van Thriel Journal: Int Arch Occup Environ Health Date: 2003-11-04 Impact factor: 3.015