Acquired Color Vision Defects and Hexane Exposure: A Study of San Francisco Bay Area Automotive Mechanics

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bates MN ; Beckman S ; Eisen EA ; Haegerstrom-Portnoy G ; Hammond SK ; Liu S
• Description:
  Occupational exposure to solvents, including n-hexane, has been associated with acquired color vision defects. Blue-yellow defects are most common and may be due to neurotoxicity or retinal damage. Acetone may potentiate the neurotoxicity of n-hexane. We present results on nonhexane solvent and hexane exposure and color vision from a cross-sectional study of 835 automotive repair workers in the San Francisco Bay Area, California (2007-2013). Cumulative exposure was estimated from self-reported work history, and color vision was assessed using the Lanthony desaturated D-15 panel test. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios for color vision defects. Acquired color vision defects were present in 29% of participants, of which 70% were blue-yellow. Elevated prevalence ratios were found for nonhexane solvent exposure, with a maximum of 1.31 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86, 2.00) for blue-yellow. Among participants aged ≤ 50 years, the prevalence ratio for blue-yellow defects was 2.17 (95% CI: 1.03, 4.56) in the highest quartile of nonhexane solvent exposure and 1.62 (95% CI: 0.97, 2.72) in the highest category of exposure to hexane with acetone coexposure. Cumulative exposures to hexane and nonhexane solvents in the highest exposure categories were associated with elevated prevalence ratios for color vision defects in younger participants. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Acetone Aging Automobiles Eye Hexanes Nervous System Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Sense Organs Solvents Vision Disorders

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• Keywords:
  Age Groups Author Keywords: Color Perception Automobile Repair Shops Automotive Industry Color Vision Color Vision Defects Cross Sectional Studies Employee Exposure Eye Disorders Humans Mechanics Mixed Exposures N-Hexane Neurotoxic Effects Neurotoxicity Occupational Exposure Regression Analysis Retinal Disorders Vision Disorders

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• ISSN:
  0002-9262
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  183
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049866
• Citation:
  Am J Epidemiol 2016 Jun; 183(11):969-976
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Ellen A. Eisen, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 50 University Hall, #7360, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360
• Email:
  eeisen@berkeley.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Acetone (CAS RN 67-64-1) ; Hexane (CAS RN 110-54-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• Performing Organization:
  University of California, Berkeley
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Epidemiology
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a7e8f16ce5a1e8f2bcb168ae7922c042b4b42ef7302d721c7efabda129534e34dc59bd9650e9af80f0137eec73727aeb27252a2ddf9edfe00c4f1f832c5b963d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210464/cdc_210464_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 124.96 KB ]