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Exposure‐effect and exposure‐response relationships between occupational exposure to styrene and neuropsychological functions
Author(s) -
Mutti Antonio,
Mazzucchi Anna,
Rustichelli Paolo,
Frigeri Graziano,
Arfini Giuseppe,
Franchini Innocente
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.4700050404
Subject(s) - medicine , styrene , neuropsychology , creatinine , urine , occupational exposure , neuropsychological test , physiology , cognition , psychiatry , environmental health , chemistry , organic chemistry , copolymer , polymer
A neuropsychological test battery was administered to 50 workers exposed to styrene and to 50 sex‐, intelligence‐, and age‐matched controls. The main styrene metabolites, ie, mandelic acid (MA) and phenylglyoxylic acid (PGA), were measured as exposure indices in the urine collected on Saturday mornings, just before neuropsychological testing. Exposure‐response and exposure‐effect relationships were found between the intensity of the exposure (as reflected by the sum of MA and PGA) and the scores of the neuropsychological tests. Verbal learning skills were significantly impaired in workers with a sum of MA and PGA higher than 150 mmole/mole creatinine, corresponding to styrene airborne concentrations higher than 25 ppm (mean daily exposure). Logical memory and visuo‐constructive abilities were shown to be significantly affected in workers with MA and PGA higher than 300 mmole/mole creatinine, corresponding to exposure levels of more than 50 ppm of styrene in air.