NEUROBEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF SOLVENT MIXTURE IN A SILK-SCREEN PRINTING FACTORY

Abstract

Purpose of study A cross-sectional study was conducted in a silk-screen printing factory where workers were exposed to organic solvent mixture. The aims of this study were to ascertain the solvent exposure concentrations; the levels of urinary metabolite for trimethyl benzene exposure; and to evaluate the acute and chronic effects of mixed solvent exposure on the central nervous system of exposed workers. Procedure The exposure group was made up of 74 silk screen printing operators, and 74 quality control workers made up the control group. Personal air samples were collected with an Organic Vapour Monitor (3M Model #3500) and the solvents were analysed with GC/MS. The solvent mixture was made up of 10 volatile organic chemicals, 7 of them were known to have toxicologic effects on the central nervous system. Urine samples were collected before workers started work on Monday, and before they stopped work on Monday and Friday. HPLC and GC were used to analyse the urine samples. Urinary 3,4-DMHA was used as a biological indicator for trimethyl benzene exposure. The exposed and control groups were subjected to a set of questionnaires, a selected traditional neurobehavioral test battery and computer-based neurobehavioral tests. The subject's memory, mood and psychosomatic symptoms were obtained by questionnaires before workers started work. The acute symptom questionnaires were administered at the end of the work shift. The workers were subjected to 8 traditional