Abstract

To study the relationship between the urinary hippuric acid and subjective symptoms in toluene exposed workers, urinary hippuric acid was measured and subjective symptoms questionnarire was surveyed in 93 toluene exposed male workers and 96 non-exposed office male workers. The results are as follows: 1. Mean concentration of urinary hippuric acid, which is significantly higher in exposed group than in non-exposed group, was 1.3 g/l, 1.2(GM, GSD respectively) in exposed group and 0.6 g/l, 1.2(GM, GSD respectively) in non-exposed group. 2. Mean concentration of toluene in the air in the workplace, which is significantly higher in the department of coater than in the department of mixing, was 23.4 ppm, 6.2(GM, GSD respectively) in the department of mixing and 59.8 ppm, 3.4(GM, GSD respectively) in the department of coater. 3. Complained rates of subjective symptoms were significantly higher in exposed group than in non exposed group in all items. 4. In exposed group, complained rate of CNS related symptoms was higher than that of irritation related symptoms in the first part but there was no significant difference and complained rate of irritation related symptoms in the second part was significantly higher than that of CNS related symptoms. 5. In exposed group, complained rates of subjective symptoms were not compatible with dose-response relationship by the concentration of urinary hippuric acid, duration of work, department of work, and age group retrospectively.

• Keywords: hippuric acid;toluene poisoning