Neuropsychological symptoms among tanker drivers with exposure to solvents.

The purpose of this study was to measure the exposure of road tanker drivers to organic solvents at work, and to study, using questionnaires, how many symptoms drivers have which might be caused by exposure to solvents. The target group for the study was all the road tanker drivers of a Finnish oil firm (n = 61 men). There were two control groups from the same firm. One control group included workers who were occasionally exposed to solvents at work (n = 56 men). The other group included workers who had no exposure to solvents (n = 31 men). Industrial hygiene measurements were made in two oil depots (n = 20). The drivers' personal exposures to organic solvents during loading of road tankers were remarkable. In seven measurements (50%) during top loading, the exposure exceeded the Swedish TLV(8h). In symptom questionnaires, the drivers had more acute symptoms which might be caused by solvent exposure compared to the control group who had no exposure. The most remarkable differences were in the symptoms of fatigue, depression, hostility, listlessness and uncertainty. Drivers had fewer symptoms which might be caused by long-term exposure to solvents than control groups. Furthermore, the differences between groups were not statistically significant.