Exposure to xylene and ethylbenzene. III. Effects on central nervous functions.

Abstract

Exposure to xylene and ethylbenzene: III. Effects on central nervous functions. Scand. j. work environ. & health 4 (1978) 204-211. The effect of exposure to the solvent xylene on performance of tests of numerical ability, reaction time (simple and choice), short-term memory, and critical flicker fusion was studied in i\iwo separate laboratory series. In the first series fifteen healthy male subjects were studied individually on three separate occasions with exposure to 435 and 1,300 mg/m 3 xylene in inspired air and under control conditions. In a second series eight of the subjects were exposed to 1,300 mg/m 3 xylene in inspired air. This exposure period began with 30 min of work on a bicycle ergometer (100 W) and continued during the behavioral tests. The procedure was the same under control conditions. Each exposure period lasted 70 min. At certain times during exposure, samples of the subjects alveolar air were collected. Exposure to xylene did not cause any noticeable change in performance during the first laboratory series, when the subjects' total uptake of xylene was estimated to be on an average 180 and 540 mg, respectively. In the sec'ond 8eries the physical work induced an increase in the total uptake up to an average of 1,200 mg. In this series clear evidence of performance decrement was observed in three of the performance tests.

Effects of volatile solvents on recombinant N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes

“…Cruz et alabout 20% ethylbenzene (Gamberale et al, 1978;Fishbein, 1985). This compound, as well as propylbenzene, has a low acute toxicity in animals and humans even at high concentrations (EngstroÈ m et al, 1987).…”

Richtwerte für Dimethylbenzole in der Innenraumluft

“…5830 mg p-Xylol/m 3 verzeichnet [46]. Für m-Xylol wird ein RD 50 von 6000 mg/m 3 , für ein Gemisch aller drei Isomere (keine näheren Angaben) ein RD 50 von 10700 mg/m 3 angegeben [47]. [49].…”

“…[49]. Auch nach 70-minü-tiger Exposition von 15 Probanden mit 100 ml technischem Xylol/m 3 (mit 20 % Ethylbenzol) waren das Kurzzeitgedächt-nis und andere zentralnervöse Funktionen beeinträchtigt [50].…”

Human behavioral toxicology. Central nervous effects of low-dose exposure to neurotoxic substances in the work environment.

“…Thu s, in a few studi es, exposure to solvents has been enhanced by the exposed subjects' working on a bicycle ergometer. In two of these studies (9,43), it was sho wn tha t an increase in the uptake of a solvent, obtained with this meth od , could indeed be followed by an impairment in performance. In other studies (46) impairments in performan ce were related both to the concentrat ion of the solvent in the inspired air and to the uptake of th e solvent in the bod y as estimated on the basis of mea surem ent s of alveolar air co ncentra tio n.…”

“…At our laboratory methylene chloride (I), methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) (2), styrene (3), to luene (4) (5), I, I; I-trichloroethane (6), trichlo roethy-lene (7), white spirit (8), a nd xylene (9) have been studied. Still other solvents have been investigated elsewhere, eg, acetone (10), ethanol (II), formaldehyde (12), meth yl chloride (13), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) (14), and tetrachloroethylene (15).…”