Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Solvent-associated decrements in olfactory function in paint manufacturing workers.

B S Schwartz1, D P Ford, K I Bolla

  • 1Clinical Epidemiology Unit, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|January 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

Low-level organic solvent exposure may impair olfactory function, particularly in non-smokers. This study suggests solvents could cause nervous system damage at lower levels than previously thought.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Long-term exposure to particulate matter and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in an analysis of multiple Asian cohorts.

Environment international·2024
Same author

Association of community types and features in a case-control analysis of new onset type 2 diabetes across a diverse geography in Pennsylvania.

BMJ open·2021
Same author

Experimental verification the electron return effect around spherical air cavities for the MR-Linac using Monte Carlo calculation.

Medical physics·2020
Same author

Transcriptomic changes in the nasal epithelium associated with diesel engine exhaust exposure.

Environment international·2020
Same author

Longitudinal evaluation of clustering of chronic sinonasal and related symptoms using exploratory factor analysis.

Allergy·2018
Same author

No association between circulating concentrations of vitamin D and risk of lung cancer: an analysis in 20 prospective studies in the Lung Cancer Cohort Consortium (LC3).

Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology·2018

Area of Science:

  • Occupational Health
  • Neurotoxicology
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Occupational exposure to organic solvents is common in industries like paint manufacturing.
  • The neurotoxic effects of solvents at low exposure levels are not fully understood.
  • Olfactory function may serve as an early indicator of solvent-induced neurotoxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between low-level organic solvent exposure and olfactory function in paint manufacturing workers.
  • To determine if smoking status influences the impact of solvent exposure on smell.
  • To assess potential neurotoxic effects of solvents on the olfactory system.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 187 paint manufacturing workers.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Olfactory function was assessed using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT).
  • Industrial hygiene data provided historical (13-15 years) average solvent exposure levels relative to threshold limit values.

    • Main Results:

    • Dose-related decrements in olfactory function were observed in non-smokers (p = .01).
    • Non-smoking workers with the highest solvent exposure had significantly reduced UPSIT scores (below the fifth percentile).
    • Average solvent exposures were low, ranging from 2-40% of established threshold limit values.

    Conclusions:

    • Organic solvents may cause nervous system dysfunction at lower exposure levels than previously suspected.
    • The olfactory system appears to be a sensitive target organ for solvent neurotoxicity.
    • These findings highlight the need for stricter occupational exposure limits and monitoring for olfactory impairment.