Dose-response relationship in toluene-exposed workers

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The dose-response relationship was investigated among 1131 toluene-exposed Chinese workers (of both sexes) in comparison with 548 non-exposed peers. The intensity of exposure to toluene was monitored by means of diffusive sampling followed by CS_2 extraction and capillary gaschromatographic analysis. Possible effects were measured by questionnaires on subjective symptoms during the work and in the recent 3 month period, and by conventional hematology and serum biochemistry. Analysis for toluene metabolites in end-of-shift urine samples was also carried out. The urinary metabolite concentrations increased as a linear function of the exposure intensity (up to ca. 500 ppm as TWA), suggesting the validity of the exposure measurements conducted. Changes in hematology and in serum biochemistry among the exposed workers were fragmental with no systematic biomedical significance as compared with the nonexposed subjects. In contrast, the subjective symptoms were more frequently complained among the exposed than the controls, and such elevation in frequency was statistically significant and dose-related in the symptoms such as 'headache', 'heaviness in head' and 'floating sensation during work'.