Skip to main content
Log in

Hepatotoxic effects of solvent exposure around permissible limits and alcohol consumption in printers over a 4-year period

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

Abstract

Two field studies were carried out in 1987 and 1991 in order to evaluate the effect of chronic exposure to solvent mixture on liver enzyme patterns. The results in 33 workers who participated in both studies and had complete sets of data are presented. The magnitude of chemical workload was assessed by means of ambient air monitoring and biomonitoring of solvent concentrations. Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase were used as markers for possible biological effects. No dose-response relationship was found between exposure to complex solvent mixtures in ambient air, reaching and sometimes even exceeding the threshold limit values for mixtures, and liver enzyme activities. Self-reported alcohol intake was the only factor identified as statistically related to increased liver enzyme activity.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chen JD, Wang JD, Jang JP, Chen YY (1991) Exposure to mixtures of solvents among paint workers and biochemical alterations of liver function. Br J Ind Med 48:696–701

    Google Scholar 

  2. Cornish HH, Adefuin J (1967) Potentiation of carbon tetrachloride toxicity by aliphatic alcohols. Arch Environ Health 14:447–449

    Google Scholar 

  3. Forth W, Henschler D, Rummel W (1990) Pharmakologie und Toxikologie. BI Wissenschaftsverlag, Mannheim

    Google Scholar 

  4. Freundt KJ (1988) Berufliche Lösungsmittel-Exposition und Trinkalkohol: Toxikologische Begutachtung im Strafverfahren. Med Sach 84:62–66

    Google Scholar 

  5. Freundt KJ (1989) Gefahrstoff-Expositionen and Alkoholkonsum — Interferenzreaktionen, gesundheitliche Risiken. 21. Deutscher Kongress für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin, pp 233–256, Hrsg: Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Arbeitssicherheit, Düsseldorf

    Google Scholar 

  6. Greim H, Dessau W (1985) Kombinationswirkung organischer Lösungsmittel. Schriftenreihe der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz, Dortmund

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kurppa K, Husman K (1982) Car painters' exposure to a mixture of organic solvents. Scand J Work Environ Health 8:137–140

    Google Scholar 

  8. Lundberg I, Hakansson M (1985) Normal serum activities of liver enzymes in Swedish paint industry workers with heavy exposure to organic solvents. Br J Ind Med 42:596–600

    Google Scholar 

  9. Maling HM, Stripp B, Sipes IG, Highman B, Saul W, Williams MA (1975) Enhanced hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride, thioacetamide, and dimethyl-nitrosamine by pretreatment of rats with ethanol and some comparison with potentiation by isopropanol. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 33:291–308

    Google Scholar 

  10. Müller-Alberti A, Kessel R (1988) Korrelation zwischen Alkoholkonsum und Laborbefunden bei gesunden männlichen Arbeitern. Arbeitsmed Sozialmed Präventivmed 23:81–84

    Google Scholar 

  11. Nakajima T, Wang R-S, Murayama N (1993) Immunochemical assessment of the influence of nutritional, physiological and environmental factors on the metabolism of toluene. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 65:127–130

    Google Scholar 

  12. Rasmussen K, Brogren C-H, Sabroe S (1993) Subclinical affection of liver and kidney function and solvent exposure. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 64:445–448

    Google Scholar 

  13. Rees D, Soderlund N, Cronje R, Song E, Kielkowski D, Myers J (1993) Solvent exposure, alcohol consumption and liver injury in workers manufacturing paint. Scand J Work Environ Health 19:236–244

    Google Scholar 

  14. Schäcke G, Heydenreich-Adloff B, Lüdersdorf R, Fuchs A, Schafstedde F (1983) Zur Frage der Differenzierung von berufsbedingter Lösemittelexposition and alimentärer Alkoholbelastung anhand gebräuchlicher Leberfunktionsparameter. Bericht über die 23. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Arbeitsmedizin. Gemner Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  15. Traiger GJ, Plaa GL (1971) Differences in the potentiation of carbon tetrachloride in rats by ethanol and isopropanol pretreatment. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 20:105–112

    Google Scholar 

  16. Triebig G (1992) Gesundheitsgefährdung durch organische Losungsmittel unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Neurotoxizität. Arbeitsmedizin aktuell, vol 30. Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  17. Triebig G, Weltle D, Schaller K-H, Valentin H (1985) Chronische Lösemittel-Expositionen und Leberenzyme. Fortschr Med 10:267–275

    Google Scholar 

  18. Yin S, Li G, Hu Y, Zhang X, Jin C, Inoue O, Seji K, Kasahara M, Nakatsuka H, Ikeda M (1987) Symptoms and signs of workers exposed to benzene, toluene or the combination. Ind Health 25:113–130

    Google Scholar 

  19. Zober A, Pluto R, Gehrmann C, Will W (1992) Leberbefunde in der chemischen Großindustrie — differentialdiagnostische Oberlegungen. Arbeitsmed Sozialmed Präventivmed 27:186–189

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nasterlack, M., Triebig, G. & Stelzer, O. Hepatotoxic effects of solvent exposure around permissible limits and alcohol consumption in printers over a 4-year period. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 66, 161–165 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380774

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380774

Key words

Navigation