Solvents harm the brain in the long run

Solvents harm the brain in the long run

05/21/2014

If people are exposed to strong solvent fumes during working hours, this can leave behind cognitive deficits that can still be detected at retirement age. This shows a recent study.

Vapors of solvents are not healthy. Nevertheless, many people are exposed to them at work. Researchers are now studying the effects of exposure.

The researchers evaluated data from more than 2,100 retirees of the French state energy supplier. To do so, they correlate the results of extensive cognitive tests collected from former workers with previous exposure to solvents (chlorinated hydrocarbons, petroleum-based solvents and benzenes).

The results show that people who were exposed to solvent fumes during working hours were more likely to have memory and thinking problems at retirement age. It was striking that the problems also occurred when the contact with the solvents was long ago (up to 50 years). (Pm)