Prevalence of neuropsychiatric and mucous membrane irritation complaints among Palestinian shoe factory workers exposed to organic solvents and plastic compounds

Background Long-term exposure to organic solvents is associated with neurop sychiatric and mucus membrane irritation. In developing countries, efforts to secure a good working environment are inadequate and protection against chemical exposures is often neglected. Methods In a cross-sectional survey, the prevalence of self-reported health complaints and the association with long-term exposure to solvents and pla stic materials in the work environment was studied among 167 shoe-factory w orkers. Prevalences and adjusted ratios (PR) were calculated in Cox regress ion. 95% confidence intervals were estimated for PRs of adverse health effe cts. Results Overall, the workers reported high prevalences of neuropsychiatric and mucus membrane complaints: headache (65%), mental irritability (53%), t ingling of limbs (46%), and sore eyes (43%). Cleaning. work was associated with tingling of limbs (PR = 1.8, 1.0-3.2), sore eyes (PR = 1.9, 1.1-3.3), and breathing difficulty (PR = 2.0, 1.0-3.9); plastic work way associated w ith tingling of limbs (PR = 1.8, 1.2-2.9) and sore eves (PR=1.7, 1.1-2.7); and varnishing was associated with breathing difficulty (PR = 1.9, 1.1-3.5) . Conclusions The high prevalence of self-reported health complaints and the exposure-outcome association could be due to volatile organic solvents (dic hloromethane, n-hexane) and plastic compounds (Isocyanates and polyvinyl ch loride). Absence of a satisfactory work environment is likely to contribute to high exposure levels. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.