Dose-dependent increase in subjective symptoms among toluene-exposed workers

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Environmental Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1006/enrs.1993.1037· OSTI ID:6586555

Ukai, Hirohiko ^[1]; Watanabe, Takao ^[2]; Nakatsuka, Haruo ^[3]; Satoh, Toshihiko ^[4]; Liu, Shijie; Jin, Chui ^[5]; Qiao, Xin ^[6]; Li, Guilan ^[7]; Ikeda, Masayuki ^[8]

---

1. Kyoto Industrial Health Association (Japan)
2. Miyagi Univ. of Education, Sendai (Japan)
3. Tohoku Univ. School of Medicine, Sendai (Japan)
4. Keio Univ., Tokyo (Japan)
5. Beijing Medical Univ. School of Public Health (China)
6. Institute for Prevention and Treatment of Occupational Diseases, Beijing (China)
7. Institute of Occupational Medicine, Beijing (China)
8. Kyoto Univ. Faculty of Medicine (Japan)

A factory survey on dose-response relationship in toluene toxicity was conducted in 1985-1989 in four cities in China. The examination items consisted of personal diffusive sampling for TWA exposure measurement, questionnaires on subjective symptoms, hematology and serum biochemistry, and clinical examination including simple neurology tests. Hippuric acid was also determined in urine samples collected at the end of the shift. With selection criteria that (1) complete results were available on all study items and (2) valid toluene exposure data (i.e., toluene shared 90% or more of the exposure) were obtained for the exposed, 452 toluene-exposed workers (206 men and 246 women; toluene exposure at 24.7 ppm as GM) and 517 nonexposed controls (246 men and 271 women) were selected. The subjective symptoms increased in close association with the intensity of exposure to toluene; the threshold concentration appeared to exist at 100 ppm in the case of symptoms during work, and it might be at 50-100 ppm when symptoms off work were evaluated. During the work with exposure at higher concentrations, various symptoms possibly related to CNS or local effects (e.g., eyes, nose, and throat) were complained, and dizziness and floating sensations were identified as typical symptoms with significant dose-response relationship. Several symptoms persisted off work, most of which were apparently related but not necessarily limited to CNS effects. Hematology and serum biochemistry were essentially negative. 46 refs., 4 figs., 6 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6586555
• Journal Information: Environmental Research; (United States), Vol. 60:2; ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
PERSONNEL
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
SYMPTOMS
TOLUENE
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
TOXICITY
BIOCHEMISTRY
CHINA
HEMATOLOGY
HIPPURIC ACID
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE DOSE
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE
NEUROLOGY
THRESHOLD DOSE
URINE
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
ASIA
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY FLUIDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMISTRY
DOSES
HYDROCARBONS
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PRIMATES
RADIATION DOSES
SAFETY STANDARDS
STANDARDS
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
550200 - Biochemistry