Correlations between subjective disturbances due to acute exposure to organic solvents and internal dose

A general tendency to minor subjective disturbances ("susceptibility") were measured by questionnaire scores of psycho-/neurovegetative lability in 32 subjects independent of any experience with solvents. In series of experiments interrelations between subjective and biological variables during experimental exposures for 4 or 8 hr to acetone (1000 ppm), ethyl acetate (400 ppm), acetone/ethyl acetate mixture (500/200 ppm), or filtered air were investigated. Every two hr ratings of "tension", "tiredness", "complaints" and "annoyance" were reported and samples of urine were collected in order to analyse the internal dose of the substances. In exposures to ethyl acetate and to the mixture, the mean levels of urinary excretions of the substances show significant cross-correlations to rated complaints and annoyance, but not to rated tension and tiredness. Those subjects who showed higher susceptibility reported higher ratings of complaints and annoyance in those exposure conditions containing ethyl acetate. In exposures to acetone these relations were not found. Both, the quality of the substances and the individual tendency to report slight health impairments influence the variability of subjective reactions on exposure to solvents.