Liver B-ultrasonography of 347 workers exposed to mixed organic solvents in a shoe factory

Objective To observe the adverse effect of long-term exposure to mixed organic solvents on liver among workers in a shoe factory. Methods The occupational health examination data, particularly liver B-ultrasonography data of 347 workers exposed to mixed organic solvents including toluene, benzene, dichloroethane and n-hexane, and the occupational health examination data of 321 workers without exposure to occupational hazards in this shoe factory were analyzed. Results The working environment monitoring showed that the TWA concentration of these solvents at workplaces was lower than the national exposure limits. However, the liver B-ultrasonography showed that the detective rates of hepatomegaly and change of hepatic diffuse echo among exposed workers were significantly higher than those among workers without exposure to occupational hazards(χ²=27.8、12.5,P<0.05),and the change of hepatic diffuse echo happened more often among the workers with employment history of more than 2 years. Conclusion Long term exposure to mixed organic solvents may cause chronic liver damage among occupationally exposed workers, which should be paid attention to.