Audiometry and exposure measurements were conducted on workers from fiberglass and metal products manufacturing plants and a mail distribution terminal (N = 313). Workers exposed to noise and styrene had significantly worse pure-tone thresholds at 2, 3, 4, and 6 kHz when compared with noise-exposed or nonexposed workers. Age, noise exposure, and urinary mandelic acid (a biologic marker for styrene) were the variables that met the significance level criterion in the multiple logistic regression. The odds ratios for hearing loss were 1.19 for each increment of 1 year of age (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.28), 1.18 for every decibel >85 dB(A) of noise exposure (95% CI, 1.01-1.34), and 2.44 for each millimole of mandelic acid per gram of creatinine in urine (95% CI, 1.01-5.89). Our findings suggest that exposure to styrene even below recommended values had a toxic effect on the auditory system.

Aims: To evaluate possible differences between men and women in acute health effects after controlled short term chamber exposure to vapours of two common organic solvents. Methods: Fifty six healthy volunteers (28 per sex) were exposed to 150 ppm 2-propanol, 50 ppm m-xylene, and clean air for two hours at rest. The subjects rated symptoms on a visual analogue scale before, during, and after the exposure. Blinking frequency was measured continuously during exposure. Pulmonary function, nasal swelling, inflammatory markers (lysozyme, eosinophilic cationic potein, myeloperoxidase, albumin) in nasal lavage and colour vision (Lanthony D-15 desaturated panel) were measured before and at 0 and 3 hours after the exposure. Results: There were no significant sex differences in response to solvent exposure with respect to blinking frequency, lung diffusing capacity, nasal area and volume, inflammatory markers in nasal lavage, and colour vision. Increased symptoms were rated by both sexes for nearly all 10 questions during exposure to 2-propanol or m-xylene, most increases being significant at one time point at least. The rating of "discomfort in the throat or airways" increased more in women during exposure to 2-propanol or m-xylene. During exposure to 2-propanol the rating of "fatigue" was more increased in men after one hour, but more increased in women after two hours of exposure. With regard to pulmonary function, women had small but significant decreases in FVC, FEV 1 /FVC, and FEF 75 three hours after exposure to m-xylene, but only the decrease in FVC was significantly different from that in men. Conclusion: Our results suggest that women are slightly more sensitive than men to the acute irritative effects of 2-propanol and m-xylene vapours.

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Objective: 3-Methylfuran (3-MF) is a common fungal volatile product with active biologic properties, and previous studies have indicated a contribution to airway disease. The aim of the present study was to assess the acute health effects of this compound in humans.Design: Acute effects were assessed via chamber exposure to (1 mg/m3) 3-MF.Participants and measurements: Twenty-nine volunteers provided symptom reports, ocular electromyograms, measurement of eye tear film break-up time, vital staining of the eye, nasal lavage, acoustic rhinometry, transfer tests, and dynamic spirometry.Results: No subjective ratings were significantly increased during exposure. Blinking frequency and the lavage biomarkers myeloperoxidase and lysozyme were significantly increased, and forced vital capacity was significantly decreased during exposure to 3-MF compared with air control.Conclusions and relevance to clinical practice: Acute effects in the eyes, nose, and airways were detected and might be the result of the biologically active properties of 3-MF. Thus, 3-MF may contribute to building-related illness.