Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Original Article

Neurobehavioral Tests in Workers Exposed to Ethylene Oxide: Kang Won Park, Young Gi Kim, Ju Hyun Byun, Jin Ha Kim, Young Hawn Lee, Kang Ryune Kim; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1998;10(3):301-309. Published online August 31, 1998; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1998.10.3.301

Abstract PDF: Ethylene oxide is widely used to sterilize heat-sensitive materials in hospital. Previous reports for neurotoxic effects of ethylene oxide have been described in animals and humans. To assess the exposure level and neurobehavioral effect of ethylene oxide, a cross-sectional study was performed to 27 nurses from central supply unit at hospital, exposed to ethylene oxide and 32 nurses as reference. Ethylene oxide was collected with using a personal air sampler and analyzed by gas chromatography for the determination of exposure level, and five items among Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery (NCTB) of World Health Organization, including Digit Span, Benton visual retention. Santa Ana dexterity, Digit Symbol and Simple reaction time, were administered to the exposed and reference group. The mean exposure level was 0.63 ppm in the exposed group and six subjects were exposed above the level of 1 ppm, which is currently regulated by the Korean Ministry of Labor. The results of neurobehavioral test in the exposed group showed significantly poorer performances in Digit Span forward and backward, Benton visual retention and Simple reaction time, comparing with the reference group. When the exposure level was divided into below and above the level of 1 ppm, there were significant differences in performance on Benton visual retentions, Digit Symbol and Simple reaction time. Also, Digit Span forward and backward showed significantly poorer performances below the level of 1 ppm, compared with reference group. Simple reaction time was still significantly delayed by the exposure level after controlling the confounding factors with multiple regression analysis. The results suggest that the periodic measurement of ethylene oxide in hospital and health care program is needed.

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Original Article

The Development of Systemic Health Management Program in the Small Scale Industry using Organic Solvents: Application of Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery(NCTB): Soo Hun Cho, Sang Hwan Han, Mi Na Ha, Dork Ro Yun, Ho Jang Kwon; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1995;7(2):258-268. Published online October 31, 1995; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1995.7.2.258

Abstract PDF: It is known that there appear some nonspecific and delicate changes in neuropsychiatric aspect on the workers when they are exposed for a long period to low concentrated organic solvents in the work places. Therefore, it give rise to the necessity of developing a program for the health supervisor stationed in the work place to supervise these neurobehavioral health affection. In addition to the questionnaire posed to the workers exposed to organic solvents, the study team conducted NCTB(Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery) respectively on an exposed group and a non-exposed group to organic solvents. The study team compared the results and decided whether or not to apply the results to the evaluation program of health affection. The study team divided 132 workers in 6 car repairing factories and 2 textile printing factories into exposed group and non-exposed group, pairing them off into 66 research objects according to their age, sex, and job. Neurobehavioral test was conducted on 6 items, except the POMS test, of NCTB developed by the World Health 0rganization (WHO) . The study team conducted examinations of working environment on the exposed and non-exposed groups of each work place. The analysis of the collected materials for examinations were conducted with GC-MS. The concentration of the mix-ture in the air, relative to their respective threshold limit values (TLV) was calculated according to the formula of the ACGIH and the Korean threshold limits. The results indicated that for two of eight factories samples the recommended concentration limits for mixtures was exceeded. Of the six tests, the'digit span forward','digit span backward'and'digit symbol' produced conspicuous statistical differences between the two groups (p<0.1) as a result of compairing the test values by means of paired t-test. The results of respective analysis of the car repairing factories and textile printing factories revealed that the textile printing factories had greater differences between the exposed and the non-exposed than in the car repairing factories. It is presumably because the textile printing workers are continuously exposed to the organic solvents during working hours, whereas the car repairing workers are exposed only when they are doing painting works. The NCTB is assessed very useful in examining the neurobehavioral health affection under the exposure to organic solvents, and, therefore, the study team expects that the NCTB will play an important part in the course of developing a health program for the workers exposed to organic solvents.

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