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A study was conducted on 30 screen printers exposed to mixed neurotoxic solvents. Exposures to toluene, methyl-ethyl-ketone, mineral spirits, beta-ether, methylene-chloride, and acetic-acid were identified. The highest exposures were found for the ink mix area and the screen washroom area, although all exposure levels were below the recommended threshold values. Higher exposures were associated with a poorer performance on tasks relying on visual short term memory and manual motor dexterity, and mood changes. None of the subjects showed signs of neurological disease. The authors conclude that the use of mixed solvents in the screen printing industry may affect central nervous system functioning at the subclinical level despite the absence of obvious clinical disease.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 28(2):221-231, 1995. (32 references)
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