Seamen exposed to organic solvents. A cross-sectional study with special reference to the nervous system.

A cross-sectional study of 85 long-term solvent exposed seamen working on chemical tankers compared to 59 unexposed seamen. Symptoms from the nervous system, clinical neurological findings and neurographic measurements were studied. The examinations were performed at least 2 weeks after the last solvent exposure. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the dose-response relationship between the registered data on one hand and solvent exposure, employment on chemical tankers, age, alcohol and chloroquine phosphate consumption on the other. A significant correlation was found between increasing solvent exposure and reduced sensory nerve conduction velocities, as well as between increasing solvent exposure and prolonged distal latencies of motor nerves, and between increasing exposure and reduction of action potential amplitudes of sensory nerves. No correlation was found between solvent exposure and symptoms from the nervous system or clinical neurological findings.