EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY OF ENDOCRINOLOGIC EFFECTS OF CARBON-DISULFIDE

One hundred seventeen viscose rayon workers exposed to carbon disulfid e, and 66 workers who were not exposed to any toxic agent in the worki ng environment, underwent an endocrinological examination that include d determination of thyroxine, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulatin g hormone, prolactin, and testosterone in serum by radioimmunoassay me thods. In the viscose rayon factory, the working conditions had not ch anged subsequent to 1932. Personal monitoring performed in 17 jobs sho wed that carbon disulfide exposures varied from 4 to 112 mg/m3. A carb on disulfide cumulative exposure index was calculated for each individ ual. Univariate analysis of the hormone levels versus exposure showed significantly lower levels of prolactin in the exposed versus nonexpos ed subjects (p = .01). After adjustment for age, alcohol, smoking, bod y mass index, and stress level, the carbon disulfide cumulative exposu re index was not associated with any of the hormones. This discrepancy from previous studies may result from differences in exposure, in sel ection of the population, or in confounding biases.