Occupational Medicine 1998;48:175-180
© 1998 Society of Occupational Medicine
research-article |
Assessment of colour vision impairment in male workers exposed to toluene generally above occupational exposure limits
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Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health 2 Ksaverska cesta, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Clinical Hospital ‘Sestre Milosrdnice’ 48 Vinogradska ulica, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
We investigated colour vision impairment in 45 male workers occupationally exposed to toluene (mean value of toluene concentration in ambient air=119.96 ppm) and in 53 controls. Colour vision was evaluated by Lanthony-D-15 desaturated test and expressed as Age and Alcohol Intake Adjusted Colour Confusion Score (AACDS) or types of dyschromatopsia. Exposure was evaluated by measurement of toluene concentration in ambient air and blood, and hippuric acid and orthocresol determined in urine after the workshift. A statistically significant higher AACDS value was established in the exposed subjects compared to the controls (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference between AACDS values on Wednesday morning compared to Monday morning. In the exposed group AACDS significantly correlated with the concentration of toluene in ambient air, concentration of toluene in blood and the concentration of hippuric acid in urine after the workshift (all p<0.0001). Dyschromatopsias were detected in both groups, although no significant difference between groups was established. In the exposed group, concentration of toluene in ambient air, alcohol intake and age explained 35.1%, concentration of toluene in blood, age and alcohol intake explained 19.9%, and concentration of hippuric acid in urine and age explained 19.2% of the variation in type III dyschromatopsia. Concentration of toluene in ambient air and age explained 28.3% of the variation in total dyschromatopsia, and concentration of hippuric acid and age explained 13.8%. In the control group, age and alcohol intake explained 19.6% of the variation in type III dyschromatopsia. In exposed workers a significant difference was found in the AACDS value compared to controls. However, no significant difference was found in the prevalence of colour vision loss in the yellow-blue and/or red-green axis. Based on the results of this study the authors conclude that the effect of toluene on colour vision can be chronic and that the possible reparation period in colour vision impairment is longer than 64 hours.
Keywords Colour vision; Lanthony-D-15 test; neurotoxicity; solvents; toluene exposure
Received 8 May 1997
Accepted 4 December 1997
Correspondence and reprint requests to: M. Zavalic, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, 2 Ksaverska cesta, 10001 Zagreb, Croatia. Tel: (+385) 1 223-625; Fax: (+385) 1 221-252
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