Balance system assessment in workers exposed to organic solvent mixture

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Neurotoxicology
• Vestibular Science

Background:

• Workers exposed to organic solvent mixtures may experience neurological effects.
• Assessing the impact on balance and vestibular function is crucial for occupational health.
• Low-concentration exposure effects require detailed investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate balance and vestibular system function in healthy workers exposed to low concentrations of organic solvent mixtures.
• To identify potential subclinical neurological deficits related to solvent exposure.
• To correlate exposure levels with observed functional impairments.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study involving 60 solvent-exposed workers and 110 reference workers.
• Utilized static posturography to assess balance and reaction time.
• Employed electronystagmography (ENG) to evaluate vestibular and oculomotor functions.

Main Results:

• Solvent-exposed workers showed more frequent and prolonged abnormal reaction times in posturography.
• Impaired movement coordination parameters were observed in the exposed group.
• Increased prevalence of abnormal ENG square waves, optokinetic responses, and shorter caloric response times were noted in exposed workers, with a negative correlation between caloric response time and cumulative toluene exposure.

Conclusions:

• Balance abnormalities in solvent-exposed workers suggest subclinical damage, primarily affecting the central vestibular system and body-movement coordination.
• Vestibular hyporeactivity cannot be ruled out in individuals exposed to organic solvents.
• Findings underscore the importance of monitoring vestibular and balance functions in occupational settings with solvent exposure.