Colour vision loss in workers exposed to elemental mercury vapour

Cavalleri, A.; Belotti, Lorrayne; Gobba, Fabriziomaria; G, Luzzana; Rosa, Paolo; Seghizzi, P

doi:10.1016/0378-4274(95)03317-3

Cited by 58 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The VCS deficits spanned the spatial frequency spectrum in both exposed groups, similar to the VCS deficit profiles seen in other solvent exposed populations (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26) and in contrast to the VCS spatial-frequency profiles observed in populations exposed to methyl mercury (44,45) and inorganic mercury (46,47). Differences between the shapes of altered VCS spatial-frequency profiles can indicate differential effects of various toxic exposures (40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…The possible trend toward worse color discrimination seen in the residential study, but not in the day care investigation, may have been caused by chance or a higher lifetime perc exposure (based on study mean perc concentration; Table 2) in the residential study (3,400 µg/m 3 years) than in the day care investigation (1,978 µg/m 3 years). In either case, the current results suggested that VCS may surpass color discrimination in sensitivity, perhaps caused by higher variability in color discrimination scores from control populations (99) than in VCS scores (40,(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…Persistent or permanent VCS deficits in the presence of normal visual acuity have been observed in workers exposed to styrene (21,22) and mixed solvents (23)(24)(25)(26), as have color discrimination deficits (27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38) in the absence of detectable optical, retinal, or optic nerve head pathology (39). VCS, a nonspecific indicator of subclinical visual impairment (40), also revealed neurologic effects associated with exposure to toxic Pfiesteria sp.-inhabited estuaries (40)(41)(42), with lead and mercury exposure (43)(44)(45)(46)(47), and was useful in differentiating vision effects from other exposure-induced deficits in neurobehavioral functions (48).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Apartment residents' and day care workers' exposures to tetrachloroethylene and deficits in visual contrast sensitivity.

Schreiber¹,

Hudnell²,

Geller³

et al. 2002

Environ Health Perspect

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Tetrachloroethylene (also called perchloroethylene, or perc), a volatile organic compound, has been the predominant solvent used by the dry-cleaning industry for many years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified perc as a hazardous air pollutant because of its potential adverse impact on human health. Several occupational studies have indicated that chronic, airborne perc exposure adversely affects neurobehavioral functions in workers, particularly visual color discrimination and tasks dependent on rapid visual-information processing. A 1995 study by Altmann and colleagues extended these findings, indicating that environmental perc exposure at a mean level of 4,980 microg/m(3) (median=1,360 microg/m(3)) alters neurobehavioral functions in residents living near dry-cleaning facilities. Although the U.S. EPA has not yet set a reference concentration guideline level for environmental exposure to airborne perc, the New York State Department of Health set an air quality guideline of 100 microg/m(3). In the current residential study, we investigated the potential for perc exposure and neurologic effects, using a battery of visual-system function tests, among healthy members of six families living in two apartment buildings in New York City that contained dry-cleaning facilities on the ground floors. In addition, a day care investigation assessed the potential for perc exposure and effects among workers at a day care center located in the same one-story building as a dry-cleaning facility. Results from the residential study showed a mean exposure level of 778 microg/m(3) perc in indoor air for a mean of 5.8 years, and that perc levels in breath, blood, and urine were 1-2 orders of magnitude in excess of background values. Group-mean visual contrast sensitivity (VCS), a measure of the ability to detect visual patterns, was significantly reduced in the 17 exposed study participants relative to unexposed matched-control participants. The groups did not differ in visual acuity, suggesting that the VCS deficit was of neurologic origin. Healthy workers in the day care investigation were chronically exposed to airborne perc at a mean of 2,150 microg/m(3) for a mean of 4.0 years. Again, group-mean VCS, measured 6 weeks after exposure cessation, was significantly reduced in the nine exposed workers relative to matched controls, and the groups did not differ significantly in visual acuity. These results suggested that chronic, environmental exposure to airborne perc adversely affects neurobehavioral function in healthy individuals. Further research is needed to assess the susceptibility of the young and elderly to perc-induced effects, to determine whether persistent solvent-induced VCS deficits are a risk factor for the development of neurologic disease, and to identify the no observable adverse effect level for chronic, environmental, perc exposure in humans.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Apartment residents' and day care workers' exposures to tetrachloroethylene and deficits in visual contrast sensitivity.

Schreiber¹,

Hudnell²,

Geller³

et al. 2002

Environ Health Perspect

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“…For example, mercury can negatively affect vision (Ventura et al, 2005;Cavalleri et al, 1995), as well as learning and memory (Smith et al, 2010;Falluel-Morel et al, 2007), and therefore could disrupt an association between the pattern of sensory input produced by the magnetic field and the visual surrounding. Moreover, our study can exclude that the turtles have even more general defects, which we did not detect in the motor-related performance tests.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High levels of maternally transferred mercury disrupt magnetic responses of snapping turtle hatchlings (Chelydra serpentina)

Landler

Painter

Coe

et al. 2017

Environmental Pollution

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a b s t r a c tThe Earth's magnetic field is involved in spatial behaviours ranging from long-distance migration to nongoal directed behaviours, such as spontaneous magnetic alignment (SMA). Mercury is a harmful pollutant most often generated from anthropogenic sources that can bio-accumulate in animal tissue over a lifetime. We compared SMA of hatchling snapping turtles from mothers captured at reference (i.e., low mercury) and mercury contaminated sites. Reference turtles showed radio frequency-dependent SMA along the north-south axis, consistent with previous studies of SMA, while turtles with high levels of maternally inherited mercury failed to show consistent magnetic alignment. In contrast, there was no difference between reference and mercury exposed turtles on standard performance measures. The magnetic field plays an important role in animal orientation behaviour and may also help to integrate spatial information from a variety of sensory modalities. As a consequence, mercury may compromise the performance of turtles in a wide variety of spatial tasks. Future research is needed to determine the threshold for mercury effects on snapping turtles, whether mercury exposure compromises spatial behaviour of adult turtles, and whether mercury has a direct effect on the magnetoreception mechanism(s) that mediate SMA or a more general effect on the nervous system.

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“…This test was administered because several studies report that Hg exposure may result in acquired color blindness. 3,4 Color vision was evaluated using the Lanthony 15 Hue desaturation panel and Farnsworth D-15 panel test, which are tests based on the ability to recombine a set of 15 colored caps according to a definite chromatic sequence. 5 The results of the test were expressed as color confusion index (CCI) 6 ; an index of 1 means the test was completed correctly, and each error in recombining the sequence increases the value of the CCI.…”

Section: Color Vision Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-98-0320-2751, Mercury Waste Solutions, Inc. Union Grove, Wisconsin.

1999

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Colour vision loss in workers exposed to elemental mercury vapour

Cited by 58 publications

References 8 publications

Apartment residents' and day care workers' exposures to tetrachloroethylene and deficits in visual contrast sensitivity.

Apartment residents' and day care workers' exposures to tetrachloroethylene and deficits in visual contrast sensitivity.

High levels of maternally transferred mercury disrupt magnetic responses of snapping turtle hatchlings (Chelydra serpentina)

Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-98-0320-2751, Mercury Waste Solutions, Inc. Union Grove, Wisconsin.

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