Echeverria D, Fine L, Langolf G, Schork A, Sampaio C
Department of Environmental and Industrial Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109.
Br J Ind Med. 1989 Jul;46(7):483-95. doi: 10.1136/oem.46.7.483.
An acute inhalation chamber study of 42 college students was performed to investigate the relation between exposure to 0, 75, and 150 ppm of toluene and changes in central nervous system function and symptoms. Paid subjects were exposed for seven hours over three days. Verbal and visual short term memory (Sternberg, digit span, Benton, pattern memory); perception (pattern recognition); psychomotor skill (simple reaction time, continuous performance, digit symbol, hand-eye coordination, finger tapping, and critical tracking); manual dexterity (one hole); mood (profile of mood scales (POMS]; fatigue (fatigue checklist); and verbal ability were evaluated at 0800, 1200, and 1600 hours. Voluntary symptoms and observations of sleep were collected daily. An analysis of variance and test for trend was performed on the difference and score for each concentration reflecting an eight hour workday where each subject was their own control. A 3 x 3 Latin square study design evaluated toluene effects simultaneously, controlling for learning across the three days and the solvent order. Intersubject variation in solvent uptake was monitored in breath and urine. A 5-10% decrement in performance was considered significant if it was consistent with a linear trend at p less than 0.05. Adverse performance at 150 ppm toluene was found at 6.0% for digit span, 12.1% for pattern recognition (latency), 5.0% for pattern memory (number correct), 6.5% for one hole, and 3.0% for critical tracking. The number of headaches and eye irritation also increased in a dose response manner. The greatest effect was found for an increasing number of observations of sleep. Overall, no clear pattern of neurobehavioural effects was found consistent with the type 1 central nervous system as classified by the World Health Organisation. Subtle acute effects, however, were found just below and above the ACGIH TLV of 100 ppm toluene, supporting the position that the guideline be lowered since the biological threshold of behavioural effects may be comparable with the TLV.
对42名大学生进行了一项急性吸入舱研究，以调查暴露于0、75和150 ppm甲苯与中枢神经系统功能和症状变化之间的关系。有偿受试者在三天内暴露七小时。在上午8点、12点和下午4点评估言语和视觉短期记忆（斯特恩伯格法、数字广度、本顿法、图案记忆）；感知（图案识别）；心理运动技能（简单反应时间、连续作业、数字符号、手眼协调、手指敲击和临界追踪）；手部灵活性（单孔法）；情绪（情绪量表简表[POMS]）；疲劳（疲劳检查表）；以及言语能力。每天收集自发症状和睡眠观察情况。对反映八小时工作日的每种浓度的差异和得分进行方差分析和趋势检验，其中每个受试者自身作为对照。采用3×3拉丁方研究设计同时评估甲苯的影响，控制三天内的学习情况和溶剂顺序。监测呼吸和尿液中溶剂摄取的个体间差异。如果表现下降5 - 10%且与p小于0.05的线性趋势一致，则认为具有显著性。在150 ppm甲苯浓度下，数字广度方面有6.0%出现不良表现，图案识别（潜伏期）方面为12.1%，图案记忆（正确数量）方面为5.0%，单孔法方面为6.5%，临界追踪方面为3.0%。头痛和眼睛刺激的数量也呈剂量反应方式增加。在睡眠观察次数增加方面发现了最大影响。总体而言，未发现与世界卫生组织分类的1型中枢神经系统一致的明确神经行为效应模式。然而，在略低于和高于美国政府工业卫生学家会议（ACGIH）100 ppm甲苯阈限值（TLV）时发现了细微的急性效应，支持降低该指导值的观点，因为行为效应的生物学阈值可能与TLV相当。
