Dose-response relationship in toluene-exposed workers

本文对1131名甲苯接触工人（男女）和548名非接触工人进行了剂量-反应关系的研究。采用CS_2萃取-毛细管气相色谱法监测甲苯暴露强度。通过对工作期间和最近3个月内的主观症状进行问卷调查，并通过常规血液学和血清生化检查来测量可能的影响。还对轮班结束时尿样中的甲苯代谢物进行了分析。尿代谢物浓度随暴露强度的线性函数增加（高达约100 mg/kg）。500 ppm作为TWA），表明所进行的暴露测量的有效性。血液学和血清生化的变化在接触工人之间的碎片与非接触对象相比，没有系统的生物医学意义。相比之下，主观症状的投诉更频繁的接触者比对照组，这种频率的升高是统计学上显着的，并与剂量相关的症状，如“头痛”，“头重”和“漂浮感在工作中”。

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'.