Toxicity Reports

Here's our second toxicity report: 

"Long-Term Follow-Up of Psychological Distress, Social Functioning, and Coping Style in Treated and Untreated Patients With Solvent-Induced Chronic Toxic Encephalopathy" JOEM 40:9 (September 1998) pp 801-807 Gunnel Åbjörnsson MsocSc, Birgitta Pålsson MSocSc, Ulf Bergendorf MSc, Björn Karlson PhD, Kai Österberg MSc, Lena Seger MSc, Palle Ørbæk MS PhD Patients with organic solvent-induced toxic encephalopathy (TE) (n = 13) were followed up seven years after the application of an intervention program. They were also compared with untreated TE patients diagnosed at the
same time (n = 26) and with unexposed referents (n = 39). Psychological distress, social function, and coping ability and style were measured with the Symptom Checklist-90, Interview Schedule of Social Interaction, and Sense of Coherence and Strategies to Handle Stress questionnaires. Both TE groups had unchanged function in neuropsychological tests. Members of the treated group had improved their social functioning and reduced their mental stress but were not any better than the untreated patients. Compared with referents, the TE patients
continued to live with increased psychological distress and used predominantly emotionally focused strategies to cope with their problems. This can be a cause for concern in family life and can also make gainful work impossible.
Correspondence:
Gunnel Åbjörnsson, MSocSc
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Malmö University Hospital
S-205 02

Organic Solvent Neurotoxicity     3-31-87
http://www.cdc.gov/NIOSH/87104_48.html

Organic solvents are violate compounds such as
"aliphatic hydrocarbons, cyclic hydrocarbons, aromatic
hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, ketones,
amines, easters, alcohols, aldehydes, and ethers."

NIOSH in 1987 acknowledged many organics solvents as
being carcinogenic or causing reproductive problems.
Some listed are trichloroethylene, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane,
benzene, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloride.
"Neurotoxic disorders are listed by NIOSH among the
leading work-related  cause of disease and injury."

"Experimental and neuropathologic animal studies
support the evidence associating.......... organic solvents
with peripheral neuropathy and mild toxic encephalopathy
observed in exposed humans."  "Animal testing showed
increases in brain protein levels, which are known to
indicate cell proliferation characteristic of irreversible
brain damage."

To be continued