On March 31, 1987, the National Institute for Occupational
Safety
and Health (NIOSH) released Current Intelligence Bulletin #48:
Organic
Solvent Neurotoxicity. This is another in a series of NIOSH
publications on specific chemical substances, physical agents, or
safety hazards found in the workplace. The document, summarized
below, is now available to the public*.
Acute exposure to organic solvents can impair manual dexterity,
response speed, coordination, or body balance. Epidemiologic
studies
of workers chronically exposed to organic solvents have
demonstrated
reduced function of peripheral nerves and increases in the rates of
adverse neurobehavioral effects. Such effects include reversible,
subjective symptoms (e.g., fatigability, irritability, and memory
complaints), sustained changes in personality or mood, and impaired
intellectual function (e.g., decreased learning ability, memory,
and
ability to concentrate). Results of studies involving the chronic
exposure of animals to a limited number of organic solvents support
the observations of peripheral nervous system dysfunction and
neurobehavioral effects in humans.
Approximately 49 million tons of industrial solvents were
produced
in the United States in 1984. They are used in paints, adhesives,
glues, coatings, degreasing/cleaning agents, dyes, polymers,
plastics,
textiles, printing inks, agricultural products, and
pharmaceuticals.
An estimated 9.8 million workers in these industries may be exposed
to
organic solvents by either skin contact or inhalation.
Employers should institute educational programs to inform
workers
about materials to which they are exposed, potential health risks
of
such exposure, and safe work practices for handling these
materials.
Employers should also assess the conditions under which workers may
be
exposed to organic solvents, develop programs to survey the extent
of
worker exposure and the effectiveness of existing controls, improve
these controls as needed, and consider establishing medical
surveillance for the adverse health effects of excess exposure.
As prudent public health policy, NIOSH recommends that
employers
take all reasonable precautions to reduce exposures at least to the
concentrations specified as permissible exposure limits (PELs) by
the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration or to NIOSH's
recommended exposure limits or the American Conference of
Governmental
Industrial Hygienist's threshold limit values (if the latter two
values provide a greater degree of protection). The three basic
methods for limiting worker exposures to organic solvents are: 1)
using engineering controls such as closed-system operations and
exhaust ventilation, 2) isolating workers in closed booths from
which
they can use automated controls to run external operations, and 3)
equipping workers with carefully selected and scrupulously
maintained
solvent-resistant gloves, aprons, boots, face shields, safety
goggles,
work suits, and respiratory protection.
Reported by: Div of Standards Development and Technology Transfer,
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC.
*Copies of CIB #48 can be obtained without charge from the
Publications Dissemination Section, Division of Standards
Development
and Technology Transfer, National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226;
telephone:
(513) 841-4287.
Disclaimer
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**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to mmwrq@cdc.gov.
