Do duration of exposure, proximity to electronic manufacturing plants, and involvement in a lawsuit affect chlorinated solvent toxicity?

Human impairment from living near confined animal (hog) feeding operations

Problem. To determine whether neighbors around manure lagoons and massive hog confinement buildings who complained of offensive odors and symptoms had impaired brain and lung functions. Method. We compared near hog manure neighbors of lagoons to people living beyond 3 kilometers in Ohio and to unexposed people controls in a nearby state for neurophysiological, cognitive, recall and memory functions, and pulmonary performance. Results. The 25 exposed subjects averaged 4.3 neurobehavioral abnormalities, significantly different from 2.5 for local controls and 2.3 for Tennessee controls. Exposed subjects mean forced vital capacity and expiratory volume in 1 sec were reduced significantly compared to local and regional controls. Conclusions. Near neighbors of hog enclosures and manure lagoon gases had impaired neurobehavioral functions and pulmonary functions and these effects extended to nearby people thought to be controls. Hydrogen sulfide must be abated because people living near lagoons cannot avoid rotten egg gas.

Is neurotoxicity associated with environmental trichloroethylene (TCE)?

Individuals who lived near 2 electronic manufacturing plants were exposed to odorous chlorinated solvents by inhalation (directly) and by out gassing from well water. An exposure zone was defined by concentrations of trichloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, tetrachloroethylene, and vinyl chloride in groundwater. The author adopted trichloroethylene as a "shorthand" for the exposure designation. Residents complained of impaired recall and concentration, and of dizziness; therefore, the focus of this investigation was brain functions. Neurobehavioral functions, Profile of Mood States, frequencies of 35 symptoms, and questionnaire responses provided by 236 residents from exposure zones were compared with responses provided by 161 unexposed regional referents and by 67 Phoenix residents who lived outside the exposure zone areas. Pulmonary functions were measured with spirometry. Residents of the exposure zones were compared with regional referents, and the former had significantly (p < .05) delayed simple and choice reaction times, impaired balance, delayed blink reflex latency R-1, and abnormal color discrimination. In addition, these individuals had impaired (1) cognitive functions, (2) attention and perceptual motor speed, and (3) recall. Individuals who lived in exposure zones had airway obstructions. Adverse mood state scores and frequencies of 33 of 35 symptoms were elevated. In conclusion, individuals who lived in the exposure zones had neurobehavioral impairments, reduced pulmonary functions, elevated Profile of Mood State scores, and excessive symptom frequencies.