Abstract
Objective
There are findings of cross-sectional studies on slight cognitive effects due to toluene exposure below 50 ppm. The critical points of the earlier studies will be scrutinised by a follow-up study with four examinations in 5 years.
Methods
Employees from 14 magazine rotary printing plants were classified into groups of “high” (printing area) vs “low” (end-processing) and “short” vs “long” exposure. The sample size of 333 in examination 1 decreased to 216 in examination 4. A repeated-measurement design could be applied for 192 persons. Current exposure was measured by personal air sampling (n=2,521). Data for past exposure (lifetime weighted average exposure, LWAE) were based on job exposure matrices. High-exposure and low-exposure groups were characterised by 26 ppm vs 3 ppm (current exposure) and 45 ppm vs 9 ppm (LWAE). For long-exposure and short-exposure groups 21 vs 6 years were ascertained. Attention (symbol digit substitution, switching attention, simple reaction), memory (digit span forward and backwards, immediate and delayed reproduction of pictures), and psychomotor functions (steadiness, line tracing, aiming, tapping, peg board) were measured as dependent variables.
Results
Separate stepwise regressions for examinations 1 to 4, which included the co-variables age, level of education, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin as an alcohol marker, and trait anxiety as personality characteristic, did not exhibit remarkable exposure impacts on the performance variables. Repeated-measures analyses of covariance, which included all examination periods, also did not exhibit significant impacts of LWAE or current exposure on the functions measured. Age and education were the dominant factors for the variability of the data. Additionally, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin and trait anxiety showed sporadic impacts on the test results.
Conclusion
Evidence for psychological performance effects due to long-term toluene exposure below 50 ppm could not be proved.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arlien-Søborg P (1992) Solvent neurotoxicity. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida
Benignus VA, Boyes WK, Bushnell PJ (1998) A dosimetric analysis of behavioral effects of acute toluene exposure in rats and humans. Toxicol Sci 43:186–195
Bleecker ML, Bolla KI, Agnew J, Schwartz DS, Ford DP (1991) Dose-related subclinical neurobehavioral effects of chronic exposure to low levels of organic solvents. Am J Ind Med 19:715–728
Chouanière D, Wild P, Fontana J-M, Héry M, Fournier M, Baudin V, Subra I, Rousselle D, Toamain J-P, Saurin S, Ardiot M (2002) Neurobehavioral disturbances arising from occupational toluene exposure. Am J Ind Med 41:77–88
Danish Environmental Protection Agency (DEPA) (2001) Risk assessment of toluene, final report, July 2001. Danish Environmental Protection Agency
Eller N, Netterstrom B, Laursen P (1999) Risk of chronic effects on the central nervous system at low toluene exposure. Occup Med (Lond) 49:389–395
Erzigkeit H (1986) Manual zum SKT. Formen A-E. Ein Kurztest zur Erfassung von Aufmerksamkeits- und Gedächtnisstörungen. 2. Aufl., Vless, Ebersberg
Gamberale F, Iregren A, Kjellberg A (1989) SPES: the computerized Swedish performance evaluation system. Arbete och Hälsa 6:1–77
Gericke CH, Hanke B, Beckmann G, Baltes MM, Kühl K-P, Neubert D (2001) Multicenter field trial on possible health effects of toluene. III. Evaluation of effects after long-term exposure. Toxicology 168:185–209
Greim H (ed) (1996) Toluene. In: Occupational toxicants. Critical data evaluation for MAK values and classification of carcinogens, vol 7. VCH, Weinheim, pp 257–318
Hauptmann S, Heinemann M, Tsokos M, Püschel K (1997) Arbeitsmedizinische Alkoholismus-Diagnostik mit konventionellen Parametern und CDT. Arbeitsmed Sozialmed Umweltmed 32:335–340
Hauschke D (1997) Statistical proof of safety in toxicological studies. Drug Inf J 31:357–361
Hooisma J (1992) Provisional EURONEST battery, version 1.0. Concert action EURONEST of the EC. TNO medical biological laboratory, Rijswik
Jelnes JK (1991) Toluene. Criteria document for occupational exposure limit values. SEG/CDO/13A Commission of the European Communities, Directorate-General Employment, Industrial Relations and Social Affairs, Health and Safety Directorate, Luxembourg
Kiesswetter E, Sietmann B, Seeber A (1997) Standardization of a questionnaire for neurotoxic symptoms. Environ Res 73:73–80
Kiesswetter E, Sietmann B, Zupanic M, Seeber A (2000) Neurobehavioral study on the interactive effects of age and solvent exposure. Neurotoxicology 21:685–696
Laux L, Glanzmann P, Schaffner P, Spielberger CD (1981) Das State-Trait-Angstinventar (STAI) Beltz Testgesellschaft, Weinheim
Lehrl S (ed) (1977) Mehrfachwahl-Wortschatz-Intelligenztest (MWT-B) Straube, Erlangen
Morata TC, Dunn DE, Kretschmer LW, Lemasters GK, Keith RW (1993) Effects of occupational exposure to organic solvents and noise on hearing. Scand J Work Environ Health 9:245–254
Morata TC, Fiorini AC, Fischer FM, Colacioppo S, Wallingford KM, Krieg EF, Dunn DE, Gozzoli L, Padräo MA, Cesar LG (1997) Toluene-induced hearing loss among rotogravure printing workers. Scand J Work Environ Health 23:289–298
Motorische Leistungsserie (MLS) (1994) Version 3.00. Dr. G. Schuhfried GmbH, Mödling, Austria
Neubert D, Gericke Ch, Hanke B, Beckmann G, Baltes MM, Kühl K-P, Bochert G, Hartmann J (2001) Multicenter field trial on possible health effects of toluene. II. Cross-sectional evaluation of acute low-level exposure. Toxicology 168:159–183
Nordic Expert Group, Grete Østergaard (2000) 125. Toluene. Arbete och Hälsa Nr 2000:19, Arbetslivsinstitutet, Stockholm
Ørbaek P, Nise G (1989) Neurasthenic complaints and psychometric function of toluene-exposed rotogravure printers. Am J Ind Med 16:67–77
Schäper M, van Thriel C, Zupanic M, Seeber A (2001) Repeated individual exposure measurements: a method to improve the accuracy. In: Hagberg M, Knave B, Lillienberg L, Westberg H (eds) X2001—Exposure assessment in epidemiology and practice NR 2001:10. Gruppen Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden, pp 219–221
Schäper M, Demes P, Zupanic M, Blaszkewicz M, Seeber A (2003) Occupational toluene exposure and auditory function: results from a follow-up study. Ann Occup Hyg 47(6):493–502
Schmidt K-H, Metzler P (1992) Wortschatztest. Beltz Test GmbH, Weinheim
Seeber A, Demes P, Kiesswetter E, Schäper M, van Thriel C, Zupanic M (2000) Subjective symptoms, personality factors and exposure-related data due to solvent mixtures, dioxin, and toluene. Neurotoxicology 21:677–684
Seeber A, Blaszkewicz M, Demes P, Kiesswetter E, Schäper M, Sietmann B, van Thriel Ch, Zupanic M (2002) “Toluol in Tiefdruckereien”. Abschlussbericht zu einem Forschungsprojekt. Hauptverband der gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften, Sankt Augustin
Seitz G, Stickel F, Fiehn W, Werle E, Simanowski UA, Seitz HK (1995) Kohlenhydrat-defizientes Transferrin. Ein neuer, hochspezifischer Marker für chronischen Alkoholkonsum. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 120:391–395
Triebig G, Schaller KH, Weltle D (1987) Passivsammler bei arbeitsmedizinischen und arbeitshygienischen Fragestellungen. Schriftenreihe der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz – Forschung- Fb Nr. 523, Dortmund
van Thriel C (1999) Akute und chronische Wirkungen des Lösungsmittels Toluol unter realen Betriebsbedingungen im Tiefdruck. Ergebnisse aus zwei quasi-experimentellen Studien zu Kurzzeitwirkungen und einer epidemiologischen Querschnittstudie zu Langzeitwirkungen. Der Andere Verlag, Bad Iburg
Wameling A, Schäper M, Kunert J, Blaszkewicz M, van Thriel C, Zupanic M, Seeber A (2000) Individual toluene exposure in rotary printing: increasing accuracy of estimation by linear models based on protocols of daily activity and other measures. Biometrics 56:1218–1221
Zupanic M, Schäper M, Seeber A (2002a) Einwirkungen einer früheren beruflichen Lösungsmittelexposition auf Erhebungen verhaltenstoxikologischer Daten bei Toluolexponierten. In: Trimpop R, Zimolong B, Kalveram A, (eds) Psychologie der Arbeitssicherheit und Gesundheit - “Neue Welten, alte Welten”. Asanger, Heidelberg, pp 247–251
Zupanic M, Demes P, Seeber A (2002b) Psychomotor performance and subjective symptoms at low level toluene exposure. Occup Environ Med 59:263–268
Acknowledgement
The study was supported financially by different institutions of the German Berufsgenossenschaften (employer’s liability insurance association). A team from the Berufsgenossenschaft für Druck und Papierverarbeitung (Printing and Paper Conversion) and from the Central Institute for Research and Testing of the Berufsgenossenschaften provided the raw data for the exposure analyses. The authors appreciate especially the excellent support by the co-operation partners A. Glöckle, Dr. E. Cuno, and Dr. J. Seibel. Additionally, the authors appreciate very much the co-operation of the study participants in following all requirements of the study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Seeber, A., Schäper, M., Zupanic, M. et al. Toluene exposure below 50 ppm and cognitive function: a follow-up study with four repeated measurements in rotogravure printing plants. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 77, 1–9 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-003-0452-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-003-0452-7