Blood manganese content at birth and cord serum prolactin levels.

Manganese (Mn) is both an essential element and, at a high dose, a potent neurotoxin that can interact with dopaminergic neurotransmission. Plasma prolactin (PRL), an indirect indicator of dopaminergic functioning, has been shown to vary with Mn exposure in adults, but little is known about this relation in the developing brain. The objective of this study was to examine the relations between maternal and cord Mn blood concentrations at birth and PRL cord blood levels. Blood Mn levels were determined in 87 pregnant women at delivery, and PRL was measured in the cord blood plasma. Mn cord blood concentration (mean 34.4 microg/l, range 16.7-89.4) was significantly and positively related to cord PRL levels. These findings suggest that Mn accumulation in utero could contribute to PRL level variation in neonates, which, in turn, may influence important developmental parameters.

Women workers confront one-eyed science: building alliances to improve women's occupational health.

Women suffer many health problems related to their work, but attempts to improve their situation face obstacles at two levels: recognition of their problems and ability to organize to prevent them. Recognition by occupational health specialists has been delayed due in part to: A perception that women's issues have been included in research focussed on male workers; pressure to deal with more visible issues of mortality and well-established illness; ignorance of women's working conditions; methodological biases and inadequacies. Recognition by unions is slowed when women and their concerns are absent from union membership and/or governing structures. Feminist health advocates have not often participated in these struggles, due to social class differences and difficulties in linking with some male-dominated unions. Also, due to the wide variety of hazardous working conditions, they do not emerge from population-based analyses of health determinants in the same way as do domestic violence, tobacco or poverty. The authors describe three alliances necessary for successful research, policy and practice in women's occupational health: between feminist and working-class organizations; between feminists and occupational health scientists; between researchers and women workers.

Chromal focus of acquired chromatic discrimination loss and solvent exposure among printshop workers.

Acquired dyschromatopsia has been associated with exposure to organic solvents. However, the chromal focus of the loss may be indicative of its gravity. According to Kollner's rule, blue-yellow loss reflects changes in external retinal layers, while red-green loss appears to be indicative of internal retinal or optic nerve damage. The objective of the present study was to examine chromatic discrimination capacity of 30 printshop workers exposed to organic solvent mixtures, and of a non-exposed reference group. Colour vision was assessed with a colour arrangement test designed to detect acquired dyschromatopsia, the Lanthony D-15 desaturated panel. Quantitative analysis, using Bowman's colour confusion index, revealed significantly higher scores indicative of colour vision loss among the exposed workers as compared to the non-exposed. Analysis of covariance, with age as co-variate, showed colour confusion index to be significantly associated with job category. Similarly, qualitative analysis showed that the exposed workers presented a significantly higher prevalence of acquired dyschromatopsia as compared to the non-exposed group. However, analysis of the type of chromatic discrimination loss showed that among the nonexposed persons, dyschromatopsia was localized only in the blue-yellow range, while for 35% of the dyschromatopic-exposed persons, red-green loss as well as blue-yellow loss were present. Three-dimensional chi 2-analysis showed that the complex pattern of dyschromatopsia was not related to age, but to job category. These findings suggest that the type of dyschromatopsia, reflecting the gravity of neural alterations, may be a function of exposure level and/or the ophthalmotoxic properties of the particular solvents used.

[Mental health and the exposure to organic solvents in the workplace.]. / La santé mentale et l'exposition aux solvants organiques en milieu de travail.

Organic solvents, due to their chemical properties have a particular affinity with the nervous system, giving them the power to interfere with the functioning of an element. Case histories and epidemiological studies have shown a relationship between a long term exposure to certain solvents and the danger of neuropathies, encephalopathies and psychiatric troubles. This article's aim is to expose the problem of the deterioration of the well being of persons exposed to neurotoxic agents. A study was made in an explosives factory with workers who were exposed to ethylic ether or ethanol and a control of 74 workers who were not exposed. This is an exploratory study which mostly looks into the prevalence of symptoms that could result from a professional contact with theses neurotoxic agents. The results show that the exposed workers, compared to those who were not exposed, are afflicted with more prenarcotic symptoms at work : such as feelings of drunkeness and difficulties in articulating words. The workers also show more frequently general symptoms such as changes of mood, problems of fatigue, sleep, memory and concentration. The reported numbers of prenarcotic symptoms increase with the degree of exposure. The significance of these results on the mental health of the persons involved is studied.