Neurobehavioral changes in shoe manufacturing workers.

A study was carried out to evaluate: (a) the value of a cumulative exposure estimate (CEE) calculated from limited information on air concentration; and (b) whether chronic exposure to mixed organic solvents at a shoe manufacturing factory has induced neurobehavioral changes. The Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery was administered to 40 female workers from a shoe manufacturing factory and 28 housekeepers as referents. The airborne concentrations of the solvents as a mixture were 0.46-0.71 at the frame making process and 1.83-2.39 at the adhesive process. Performance was analyzed by three exposure indices: current department, exposure duration, and CEE. The Santa Ana Dexterity test showed statistically significant differences only in CEE. In particular, the group with higher exposures had a significantly poorer performance than the reference group, on preferred hand trials. The results suggested that CEE appeared to be a better indicator of mixed organic solvents exposure, and neurobehavioral changes were associated with CEE over 10 years.