Kidney disorders and hematotoxicity from organic solvent exposure.

Short-term exposure to certain solvents, such as several halogenated hydrocarbons, petroleum distillates, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol ethers, and diethylene glycol, may cause renal tubular necrosis. Tubular lesions with metabolic acidosis have been reported in addicts inhaling solvent vapor (eg, toluene). A Goodpasture's syndrome may be induced by acute or subacute exposure to solvents, but its incidence is rare. No adequate proof is yet available that repeated exposure to nonsubstituted organic solvents may lead to the development of different types of chronic glomerulonephritis, but the available epidemiologic data are suggestive of the existence of such an association. Only a few solvents have been reported to act on the hematopoietic system of humans. The hematotoxicity (aplastic anemia, leukemia) of benzene is well established. Some ethylene glycol ethers are also toxic to bone marrow.