Long-term exposure to wood-preserving chemicals containing pentachlorophenol and lindane is related to neurobehavioral performance in women.
BACKGROUND
The adverse neurobehavioral effects of long-term low exposure to wood-preserving chemicals (WPC) containing solvents, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (gamma-HCH; lindane), and other neurotoxicants were investigated in a neuropsychological group study.


METHODS
Out of a population of 2,000 women visiting the outpatient practice of a gynecological department, a sample of 15 women aged 31-56 (mean 43) with long-term exposure to WPC verified by self-report, biological monitoring, and environmental samples was investigated. Fifteen controls aged 42 (31-56) years were drawn from the same population and pair-wise matched with respect to sex, age, education, and estimated intelligence.


RESULTS
For the exposed group, mean PCP serum level was 43.6 micrograms/l and mean gamma-HCH blood level was 0.085 microgram/l. Mean duration of exposure was 10 (5-17) years. Intellectual functioning, attention, memory, and visuo-motor performance were examined, suggesting significant group differences in visual short-term memory (Benton Test; d = 1.5, P = .005), verbal memory (paired associate learning and Peterson paradigm; d = 4.3 and 1.6, P < .001), and an incidental learning task (d = 2.3; P = .001). Frequent subjective complaints as assessed by questionnaire were attenuated motivation (d = 1.7; P = .001), increased fatigue (d = 1.6; P = .001), distractibility (d = 1.0; P = .003), and depressed mood (d = 1.9; P = .004). PCP blood level was significantly associated with paired-associate learning, Benton Test, and reading/naming speed.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term low-dose exposure to WPC in the domestic environment could be related to subjective complaints (attention, mood, and motivation) and to subtle alterations of neurobehavioral performance (e.g., working memory) in women.
Peper
M
M
Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Germany. peper@psychologie.uni-freiburg.de
Ertl
M
M
Gerhard
I
I
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010416:Pentachlorophenol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014934:Wood
D007306:Insecticides; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D010416:Pentachlorophenol