Mitran E, Callender T, Orha B, Dragnea P, Botezatu G
Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, 1-3 Dr. Leonte Street, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania.
Environ Res. 1997;73(1-2):181-8. doi: 10.1006/enrs.1997.3703.
The neurotoxic effects of acetone, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and cyclohexanone on Romanian workers and the impact of those effects on industry environmental standards have been controversial subjects. To scientifically substantiate the standards, a study was conducted on three groups of workers to determine the changes induced by ketone solvents on the central and peripheral nervous systems. Groups of exposed workers and matched controls were studied for each solvent: acetone, 71 exposed and 86 controls from a coin printing factory; MEK, 41 exposed and 63 controls from a cable factory; and cyclohexanone, 75 exposed and 85 controls from a furniture factory. The subjects' mean age was 36 years. The mean length of exposure was 14 years. Study participants completed a questionnaire, responded to questions about alcohol consumption, submitted to a clinical examination, submitted samples for identification of biological exposure markers, and underwent motor nerve conduction velocity and neurobehavioral tests. Results showed that workers exposed to acetone were most affected in terms of human performance and evidence of neurotoxicity, followed by workers exposed to MEK and workers exposed to cyclohexanone. On the basis of the results, it was proposed that the 6-hr permissible exposure limits for acetone, MEK, and cyclohexanone be reduced to less than 500, 200, and 150 mg/m3, respectively.
丙酮、甲乙酮（MEK）和环己酮对罗马尼亚工人的神经毒性作用以及这些作用对工业环境标准的影响一直是有争议的话题。为了科学地证实这些标准，对三组工人进行了一项研究，以确定酮类溶剂对中枢神经系统和周围神经系统的影响。针对每种溶剂，对暴露组工人和匹配的对照组进行了研究：丙酮组，来自一家造币厂的71名暴露工人和86名对照组；甲乙酮组，来自一家电缆厂的41名暴露工人和63名对照组；环己酮组，来自一家家具厂的75名暴露工人和85名对照组。受试者的平均年龄为36岁。平均暴露时长为14年。研究参与者填写了一份问卷，回答了有关饮酒的问题，接受了临床检查，提交了用于鉴定生物暴露标志物的样本，并进行了运动神经传导速度和神经行为测试。结果表明，就人体机能和神经毒性证据而言，接触丙酮的工人受影响最大，其次是接触甲乙酮的工人和接触环己酮的工人。根据这些结果，建议将丙酮、甲乙酮和环己酮的6小时允许暴露限值分别降至500毫克/立方米、200毫克/立方米和150毫克/立方米以下。
