Early recognition of toxicity by assessing nervous system function.

Many industrial substances, such as pesticides, solvents, and heavy metals, are toxic to the human nervous system. Nervous system function provides an excellent means for assessing the early effects of toxic substances. A large percentage of occupational chemicals that are recognized to produce adverse health effects in general also adversely affect the nervous system. Reliable and low-cost methods, including psychometric tests and nerve conduction velocity assessment, have been developed for evaluating nervous system function. By monitoring nervous system function in workers exposed to neurotoxic chemicals, early signs of chemical toxicity can be detected. Appropriate action following detection of early signs of neurotoxicity may then avert permanent and debilitating nervous system disorder and may help to limit exposure to toxic substances affecting other organ systems as well as the nervous system. A monitoring program along with its rationale is described in this paper.