Chemical products toxic for the olfactory system: analysis and description

An important problem: Occupational exposure to chemical products can have t oxic effects on the olfactory system. An important number of patients have experienced olfactory disorders subsequent to the development of the chemic al industry and atmospheric pollution. Epidemiology data: Straightforward data are difficult to collect because se veral cofactors other than the toxic product are involved. Two lists of tox ic products can be made. The first list includes products for which scienti fic data is available and the second products for which data is lacking. Ol factory tests also differ between authors and countries. Two types of toxicity: Acute, accidental toxicity is evidenced by the lesio ns caused by inhalation of high-doses of strongly toxic agents. Chronic int oxication caused by lower concentrations of these inhaled agents does not p roduce a trigeminal reflex leading to a modified respiratory rate reducing the airborne aggression. Approximations: Clinical data describing the olfactory toxicity of certain industrial and chemical compounds are very significant but often cannot pro ve a cause and effect relationship. Data obtained with experimental models in rodents are difficult to extrapolate to humans.