The updates represent a brief review of the often extensive literature and only pertinent studies have been included
✍ Scribed by Toluene R. von Burg
- Book ID
- 102290039
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1981
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 238 KB
- Volume
- 1
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0260-437X
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Vapor density: 3.2 (air = 1). Rat oral LD50: 5 mg kg-'. Rat LCSo: 4000 ppm per 4 h. Exposure routes: Inhalation: the vapors can cause irritation t o the eyes and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory passageways. Toluene is readily absorbed through the GI tract.' Skin absorption is believed t o be relatively slow, but this route of exposure could contribute significantly t o systemic toxicity.2 Acute toxicity: Animal experiments indicate that toluene is more acutely toxic than b e n ~e n e . ~ Inhalation of high vapor concentrations causes symptoms of CNS depression such as headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, weakness and loss of coordination. Sufficiently high doses can result in extreme nausea, confusion, narcosis, and anesthesia. Chronic toxicity: Toluene can cause permanent CNS damage manifested by reduced intelligence, loss of memory, emotional lability, EEG abnormalities, tremors, nystagmus, disarthria and cerebellar ataxia. Scattered reports show adverse liver and kidney effects, alveolities, pulmonary congestion, pan-myelopathy4 and g r a n u l o c y t ~p e n i a . ~ However, all animal studies have failed t o show toluene h e m a t o t ~x i c i t y . ~ Recently, two toluene abusers were reported to have suffered life threatening metabolic acidosis with hyperchloremia.6