Neuropsychological performance and solvent exposure among car body repair shop workers.

Abstract

A cross sectional study to evaluate symptom reporting and neuropsychological test performance among a cohort of car body repair workers (n = 124) was performed using a computer-administered test system. Subjects with high and medium current exposures to solvent and paint (n = 39 and 32), and low exposure subjects who formerly painted (n = 29) reported significantly more acute and chronic neurological symptoms than did low exposure subjects with no history ofpainting (n = 24). Subjects with higher current exposure performed significantly less well on selected tests of visual perception and memory, but there were no significant exposure related differences in mood state, motor speed, or visuomotor performance. The exposure related effects were most noticeable among subjects 35 years or older. The findings are consistent with age interactive central neurotoxic effects of current exposure to solvents or of cumulative past exposure, although the study is unable to distinguish between these possibilities. The computer administered test system was effective in this field based investigation involving multiple, geographically dispersed worksites. (British Journal of Industrial Medicine 1993;50:368-377) Organic solvents are a broad class of chemical compounds used extensively in industrial processes and in consumer products, commonly in the form of The worker population in production areas at the participating shops consisted of about 45 painters and painter assistants; 25 combination workers, who routinely performed both body work and painting at the study site; and 115 non-painting workers, primarily body workers, but also supervisors, mechanics, parts handlers, and clean up personnel (total 185). Each shop was studied over the course of one or two full work shifts depending on shop size.All willing painters (and assistants) and combination workers plus half of the non-painters were selected to wear a passive charcoal dosimeter for a full shift to obtain time weighted average (TWA) samples of exposures to solvent vapours (n = 145 worker-days overall, including 1 18 in this study sample). Solvent exposures were also characterised specifically during spray painting activities in a convenience sample composed ofone or two workers at most shops (23 painters and four combination workers), by active personal monitoring with charcoal tubes and by local area sampling with a total hydrocarbon analyser (AID 7100, calibrated to a 50 ppm toluene standard) and strip chart recorder situated 4-10 feet from spraying operations. Charcoal media were analysed using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 1500 method.10 Samples exhibited up to 50-100 separate gas chromatographic peaks, and six compounds (toluene, xylene, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, and n-hexane), which on average accounted for roughly 90% of the identified mass in each air sample, were selected for routine quantification. Other compounds typically were present at concentrations less than one tenth of their t...

Types of organic solvents used in small- to medium-scale industries in Japan; a nationwide field survey

“…Thus, xylenes were as commonly found as toluene in painting work in the present survey (Table 5). This observation is in agreement with the reports by Triebig et al (1992) on spray-painting work and Daniel et al (1993) on carbody repair work, where xylenes and other higher alkylbenzenes were the leading air pollutants. Kumai et al (1983) observed that n-hexane was the second most common solvent in adhesive preparations.…”

A multidisciplinary cross-sectional study on solvent-related health effects in painters compared with construction workers

“…There also was a tendency to poorer performance regarding¯uid intelligence and concentration. In contrast to previously reported ®ndings [7,13,15,17,38], there was no substantial dierence regarding short-term memory.…”

Epidemiological Update on Solvent Neurotoxicity

“…In the study of U.S. car body repair workers (Daniell et al, 1993) the current exposure levels of painters and their median exposure years indicate that approximately half of the painters might be at risk for adverse CNS effects. Mental symptoms and poor test performance were found, especially among subjects 35 years old and older.…”

“…Symptoms (reported only as ''night problems,'' ''confusion,'' and ''activity'') were not associated with exposure. Daniell et al (1993) examined 124 car body repair workers. The participation rate was approximately 65% for production workers.…”