Neurobehavioral Effects of Chronic Exposure to Organic Solvents among Dock Yard Painters

만성적 유기용제 폭로로 인한 조선업 도장공들의 신경행동학적 영향에 관한 연구

Across sectional study was performed to evaluate the chronic effects on central nerve system(CNS) of cumulative exposure of complex organic solvents, using neurobehavioral test. Subjects were 66 (male) dock yard painters of some large ship industry which is located in Ulsan. The neurobehavioral test battery used in this study was NCTB (Neurabehavioral Core Test Battery recommended by WHO(World Health Organization), which consisted of 7 items-Profile of mood states (POMS), Simple reaction time, Santa Ana dexterity test. Digit span, Digit symbol, Benton visual retention test and Pursuit aiming. The subjects were classified by 3 groups according to duration of employment(group 1 ; less than 9 years, group 2 ; 10-14 years, group 3 ; more than 15 years). The results of performance were analyzed considering of work duration, age, educational level, alcohol drinking, smoking and testing time as confounding factors. Benton visual retention test, pursuit aiming correct dot and sum of dot showed significant differences among the groups, and decreased with increasing work duration. It indicated that the mean scores of performance ability were lowering according to work duration. Besides, the tests that didn't show statistical significances but showed linear trends were depression-dejection, vigor, fatigue of POMS, slowest time of simple reaction time and digit span forward. Most of the neurobehavioral test items were correlated with age and educational level. After controlling of confounding factors-age and educational level, the results followed ; digit span backward was different significantly. Tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility of POMS, SD and slowest time of simple reaction time, Santa Ana dexterity test non-preferred hand, digit span forward, Benton visual retention test and pursuit aiming correct dot decreased with increasing of work duration. The correlation analysis was done in order to find out the relationship between subjective symptom and the scores of neurobehavioral core test battery. According to the results of analysis there were no items that had statistical significant relationship(p<0.05).