Subjective symptoms and psychological performance of chlorine-alkali workers.
Subjective symptoms and psychological performances on a computer-administered test battery were studied among a group of 60 chlorine-alkali workers and their matched referents. The exposure time of the group exposed to inorganic mercury vapor had been about 14 years, and the estimated long-term average exposure had been about 25 micrograms/m3 of air. The exposed workers had an actual mercury concentration of 51.9 (SD 25.0, range 15-150) nmol/l in blood and 84.1 (SD 56.6, range 15-260) nmol/l in urine. Neither perceptual motor nor memory nor learning abilities of the mercury-exposed workers showed any disturbances in a comparison with the referents. However, the exposed group reported statistically significantly more memory disturbances than the referents. Strain caused by three-shift work was a possible cofactor for other increased subjective symptoms, namely, for sleep disorders, fatigue, and confusion.
Piikivi
L
L
Oulu Health Centre, Division of Occupational Health, Oulu, Finland.
Hänninen
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D000468:Alkalies; D002713:Chlorine; D006801:Humans; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011581:Psychological Tests
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000468:Alkalies; D002713:Chlorine