Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of solvents, alcohol, smoking and age on biological tests

  • Published:
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The association between a number of blood and serum quantities and industrial organic solvent exposure and poisoning, alcohol consumption, smoking, and age was analysed in 277 subjects by multiple regression analysis. Solvent poisoning was associated with changes in S-creative kinase concentrate at the P < 0.001 level (higher if exposed, lower if non-exposed at the examination time). Solvent exposure seemed to potentiate the effects of smoking on B-hemoglobin cone. and B-erythrocyte volume fraction, and the effect of age on S-creatinine cone. at the P < 0.05 level, while there was no interaction between alcohol consumption and solvents. Alcohol consumption in itself, as well as smoking and age, were highly significantly associated with changes in a large number of blood and serum quantities. There was no difference in the alcohol markers (mean erythrocyte volume = MCV, S-alanine aminotransferase and S-urate) in patients with solvent poisoning compared to healthy volunteers. The results indicate that studies on the effects of solvents on haematology and biochemistry are not valid unless the effects of alcohol, smoking and age are established; and that excessive alcohol consumption is an unlikely explanation for the symptoms of patients with solvent poisoning. The findings suggest that smoking and age may have combined effects with solvents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Armitage P (1980) Statistical methods in medical research. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Askergren A, Allgen LG, Carlsson C, Lundberg I, Nyberg E (1981) Studies on kidney function in subjects exposed to organic solvent. I. Excretion of albumin and beta-2-microglobulin in the urine. Acta Med Scand 209:479–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Åstrand I (1975) Uptake of solvents in the blood and tissues of man. Scand J Work Environ Health 1:199–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergman K (1979) Whole-body autoradiography and allied tracer techniques and elimination studies of some organic solvents. Scand J Work Environ Health 5 [Suppl 1]:1–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers DM, Levi AJ, Chanarin I, North WRS, Meade TW (1979) Mean cell volume in a working population: the effects of age, smoking, alcohol, and oral contraception. Br J Haematol 43:631–636

    Google Scholar 

  • Chanarin I (1982) Haemopoesis and alcohol. Br Med Bull 38:81–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan-Yeung M, Ferreira P, Frolich J, Schulzer M, Tan F (1981) The effects of age, smoking, and alcohol on routine laboratory tests. Am J Clin Pathol 75:320–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Chick J (1982) Epidemiology of alcohol use and its hazards. With a note on screening methods. Br Med Bull 38:3–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton GD, Clayton FE (1982) Patty's industrial hygiene and toxicology. John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp 2b-2c

    Google Scholar 

  • Dössing M (1984) Noninvasive assessment of microsomal enzyme activity in occupational medicine: present state of knowledge and future perspectives. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 53:205–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Dössing M, Arlien-Söborg P, Pedersen LM, Ranek L (1983) Liver damage associated with occupational exposure to organic solvents in house painters. Eur J Clin Invest 13:151–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Egle JL (1973) Retention of inhaled acetone and amonia in the dog. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 34:533–539

    Google Scholar 

  • Egle JL, Gochberg BJ (1975) Retention of inhaled isoprene and methanol in the dog. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 36:369–373

    Google Scholar 

  • Egle JL, Gochberg BJ (1976) Respiratory retention of inhaled toluene and benzene in the dog. J Toxicol Environ Health 1:531–538

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischbein A, Ross RR, Lerman Y (1983) Industrial solvents and the liver. Lancet 1:129

    Google Scholar 

  • Franchini I, Cavatorta A, Falzoi M, Lucerti S, Mutti A (1983) Early indicators of renal damage in workers exposed to organic solvents. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 52:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenblatt DR, Rosman J, Freedman ML (1977) Benzene and ethanol additive inhibition of rabbit reticulocyte heme and protein synthesis. Environ Res 13:425–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagerup L, Eriksen M, Schroll M, Hollnagel H, Agner E, Larsen S (1981) The Glostrup population studies. Collection of epidemiologic tables. Reference values for use in cardiovascular studies. Scand J Soc Med [Suppl] 20:72–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Hook JB (1980) Toxic responses of the kidney. In: Doull JD, Klaassen CD, Amdur MO (eds) Casarett and Doull's toxicology. Macmillan Publishing Co, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Jusko WJ (1979) Influence of cigarette smoking on drug metabolism in man. Drug Metab Rev 9:221–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Koch E, Gerhardt KH, Mössner J, Hesse R (1981) Laboratory finding in chronic alcoholism. MMW 123:1631–1633

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurppa K, Husman K (1982) Car painters exposure to a mixture of organic solvents. Serum activities of liver enzymes. Scand J Occup Environ Health 8:137–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Laan G (1980) Chronic glomerulonephritis and organic solvents. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 47:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Langman MJS, Bell GD (1982) Alcohol and the gastrointestinal tract. Br Med Bull 38:71–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin FC, Slavin G, Levi AJ (1982) Alcohol muscle disease. Br Med Bull 38:53–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Mistilis SP, Barr GD (1981) Alcohol and the liver. 3. Laboratory aids in the detection of alcohol abuse. Med J Aust 2:538–540

    Google Scholar 

  • Munjal DD, McFadden JA, Matix PA, Coffman KD, Cattaneo SM (1983) Changes in serum myoglobin, total creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and creatinine kinase MB levels in runners. Clin Biochem 16:195–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Mutti A, Lucertini S, Falzoi M, Cavatorta A, Franchini I (1981) Organic solvents and chronic glomerulonephritis: a cross-sectional study with negative findings for aliphatic alicyclic C5-C7 hydrocarbons. J Appl Toxicol 1:224–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Olesen H, Kjeldsen K, Ibsen 1 (1979) Klinisk Kemisk Kompendium [in Danish]. FADL's forlag, Copenhagen

  • Pedersen LM, Rasmussen HM (1982) The haematological and biochemical pattern in occupational organic solvent poisoning and exposure. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 51:113–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen LM, Nygaard E, Nielsen OS, Saltin B (1980) Solvent-induced occupational myopathy. J Occup Med 22:603–606

    Google Scholar 

  • Plaa GL (1980) Toxic responses of the liver. In: Doull JD, Klaassen CD, Amdur MO (eds) Casarett and Doull's toxicology. Macmillan Publishing Co, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Prentice RL, Szatrowski TP, Fujikura T, Kato H, Mason MW, Hamilton HH (1982) Leucocyte counts and coronary heart disease in a Japanese cohort. Am J Epid 116:496–509

    Google Scholar 

  • Ravnskov U, Lundström S, Norden Å (1983) Hydrocarbon exposure and glomerulonephritis: evidence from patient's occupations. Lancet II:1214–1216

    Google Scholar 

  • Rühimaki V, Savolainen K, Pfaffli P, Pekari K, Sippel HW, Laine A (1982) Metabolic interaction between m-xylene and ethanol. Arch Toxicol 49:253–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Rümke CL (1959) Variability of results in differential counts and blood smears. Triangle 4:154

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato A, Nakajima T, Koyama Y (1980) Effects of chronic alcohol consumption on hepatic metabolism of aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons in rats. Br J Ind Med 37:383–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder CA, Baarson KA, Goldstein BD, Albert RE (1981) Ingestion of ethanol increases the haematotoxicity of inhaled benzene in C57BL mice. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 27:175–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Vestal RE, Norris AH, Tobin JD, Cohen BH, Shock NW, Andres R (1975) Antipyrine metabolism in man: influence of age, alcohol, caffeine and smoking. Clin Pharmacol Ther 18:425–432

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldron HA, Cherry N, Venables H (1982) Solvent exposure and liver function. Lancet 11:1276

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldron HA, Cherry N, Johnston JD (1983) The effects of ethanol on blood toluene concentrations. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 51:365–369

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitehead TP, Clarke CA, Whitfield AGW (1978) Biochemical and haematological markers of alcohol intake. Lancet 1:978–981

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO (1981a) Health effects of combined exposures in the work environment. WHO Technical Report, Series 662

  • WHO (1981b) Recommended health-based limits in occupational exposure to selected organic solvents. WHO Technical Report Series 664

  • WHO (1983) Proceedings of a course. Health effects of combined exposures to chemicals for work and community environments. Interim document 11. WHO, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Windemuller FJB, Ettema JH (1978) Effects of combined exposure to trichloroethylene and alcohol on mental capacity. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 41:77–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Young DS (1979) Biological variability in chemical diagnosis of disease. In Brown SS, Mitchell FL, Young DS (eds) Elseviier, Amsterdam

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Danish National Institute of Occupational Health, and the Clinic of Occupational Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Denmark

    Lisbet Milling Pedersen

Authors
  1. Lisbet Milling Pedersen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pedersen, L.M. Influence of solvents, alcohol, smoking and age on biological tests. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 55, 121–131 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378374

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378374

Key words

Search

Navigation