Commercial heterogeneous solvent products (e.g., paints, inks and adhesives) were collected nationwide in Japan in 1980. The vapor phase of the product containers were analyzed for volatile organic solvent constituents by means of FID-gas chromatography on two FS-WCOT (OV-101 and PEG-600) capillary columns. Of 657 products collected (358 paints, 62 inks, 165 abhesives and 72 others), 136 samples were not analyzable because 75 gave numerous peaks (presumably containing gasoline) and others had no volatile component. Among the remaining 521 samples (298 paints, 52 inks, 120 achesives and 51 others), 70 gave only one peak while others gave multiple peaks, indicating the mixture of solvents rather than single solvent was commonly used. Of the organic solvent components identified, toluene was the most popular solvent throughout paints
The adverse health effects caused by indoor air pollution are termed "sick building syndrome". We report such a patient whose symptoms appeared in the workplace. A 36-year-old female office worker developed nausea and headache during working hours in a refurbished office. After eight months of seeking help at other clinics or hospitals without improvement, she was referred to our hospital. At that time she reacted to the smells of various chemicals outside of the office building. Biochemical findings were all within normal ranges. Specific IgE antibody to cedar pollen was positive and the ratio of TH1/TH2 was 4.5. In the Eye Tracking Test (ETT), vertical eye movement was saccadic.
A follow-up study of capacitor manufacturing workers exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and their children was conducted since 1973. PCB levels in whole blood of workers as well as in breast milk of the exposed lactating mothers were approximately 10 to 100 times those of nonexposed Japanese. Blood PCB levels had a statistically significant correlation with the duration of PCB handling and breast milk PCB levels. The rate of decline of blood PCB levels, as well as the changes of the gas chromatograph of blood PCB over 7 years was found to vary with the kind of PCB handled. The levels of blood PCB tended to be higher in the children fed PCB-contaminated breast milk for a long period. The great majority of workers handling PCBs had dermatologic complaints. Discontinuance of contact with PCB led to gradual improvement of these lesions. Abnormal results in the blood chemistry of the workers were rare, while serum triglyceride concentration was significantly correlated with blood PCB levels in 1974. In the questionnaire study, the number of complaints in children born from mothers who had handled PCBs, especially those fed breast milk for a long period, was conspicuously higher than that in control groups. Several children were found to have the same medical findings as in yusho; however, they have not been diagnosed as PCB-poisoning, because these findings were neither so serious nor related to the blood PCB levels.
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