Toluene

Toluene is a chemical that is used in a variety of products including gasoline, antifreeze, cosmetics, artificial leather and paints, lacquers and glues. Additionally, it is often used to manufacture other chemicals compounds such as benzene and urethane. Most toluene is derived from petroleum. Toluene is released into the environment primarily through the volatization of petroleum fumes and toluene-based solvents as well as from motor vehicle exhaust. It has been found to be a contaminant of air, water and soil.

Since toluene is used as a solvent in a diverse array of products, individuals working in an spectrum of different workplaces, in addition to those involved in the manufacturing of toluene itself, may be exposed to this chemical. This includes anyone whose job involves the use of toluene-based products or who works in a location where these products are being used, including, but not limited to: car mechanics, printers, hairdressers, shoemakers, painters, gas station attendants, pavement layers, and audio equipment manufacturing. Individuals living or working in a building that has been newly constructed or refinished may also be exposed to toluene.

In addition to occupational toluene exposure, there are a variety of means through which the general population may be exposed to this chemical. As inhalation of contaminated air, notably caused by motor vehicle exhaust, is a primary exposure route, persons living in dense urban areas where there is a high concentration of traffic are at increased risk of toluene exposure. Gasoline and toluene-based home improvement and craft materials (such as paints, varnishes and glues) are another way to come in contact with toluene, with the skin and the respiratory tract being two important ways through which exposure can take place. Dietary sources of toluene include contaminated drinking water and food, with the latter having the potential to be exposed not just through contaminated soil but also through the use of toluene-based solvent in certain food processing techniques.

Toluene is a brain cell toxin, causing damage to the central nervous system (CNS) through a variety of mechanisms including the dysregulation of neurotransmitters (brain messenger chemicals) such as serotonin, GABA, dopamine and norephinphrine and their receptors. As such, toluene exposure has been found to cause a variety of outcomes in humans and animals including ataxia (loss of muscle coordination), dizziness, mood changes, memory loss and the inability to concentrate.

Toluene has been found to be able to cause toxic disruption of cell signaling, a process where chemical information is transferred from one cell to the other or between different structures within the same cell. Improper cellular communication has not only been linked to the development of atherosclerosis, inflammation and psoriasis but researchers also believe that poor communication between cells may be one of the causes of the excessive production of cells, a condition which eventually leads to cancer.

Individuals who consume alcohol may be less able to metabolize and detoxify toluene. This is related to the increased burden placed upon the liver to detoxify these chemicals as well as the fact that one of the enzymes responsible for metabolizing toluene is alcohol dehydrogenase, the same enzyme that helps to breakdown alcohol.

Toluene has been shown to be able to cross the placenta and cause physiological changes in the fetus. Several case reports suggest that the manifestations of high toluene exposure during pregnancy are similar to that of fetal alcohol syndrome in the birth defects that it can cause.

Since toluene is used as a solvent in a diverse array of products, individuals working in an spectrum of different workplaces, in addition to those involved in the manufacturing of toluene itself, may be exposed to this chemical. This includes anyone whose job involves the use of toluene-based products or who works in a location where these products are being used, including, but not limited to: car mechanics, printers, hairdressers, shoemakers, painters, gas station attendants, pavement layers, and audio equipment manufacturers. Individuals living or working in a building that has been newly constructed or refinished may also be exposed to toluene.

Individuals who consume alcohol may be less able to metabolize and detoxify toluene. This is related to the increased burden placed upon the liver to detoxify these chemicals as well as the fact that one of the enzymes responsible for metabolizing toluene is alcohol dehydrogenase, the same enzyme that helps to breakdown alcohol.

In addition to occupational toluene exposure, there are a variety of means through which the general population may be exposed to this chemical. As inhalation of contaminated air, notably caused by motor vehicle exhaust, is a primary exposure route, persons living in dense urban areas where there is a high concentration of traffic are at increased risk of toluene exposure. Gasoline and toluene-based home improvement and craft materials (such as paints, varnishes and glues) are another way to come in contact with toluene, with the skin and the respiratory tract being two important ways through which exposure can take place. Dietary sources of toluene include contaminated drinking water and food, with the latter having the potential to be exposed not just through contaminated soil but also through the use of toluene-based solvents in certain food processing techniques.

Toluene is a neurotoxin, causing damage to the central nervous system (CNS) through a variety of mechanisms including the dysregulation of neurotransmitters and their receptors, including serotonin, GABA, dopamine and norepinephrine. As such, toluene exposure has been found to cause a variety of outcomes in humans and animals including ataxia (loss of muscle coordination), dizziness, mood changes, memory loss and the inability to concentrate.

Toluene has been found to be able to cause toxic disruption of cell signaling, a process where chemical information is transferred from one cell to the other or between different structures within the same cell. Improper cellular communication has not only been linked to the development of atherosclerosis, inflammation and psoriasis but researchers also believe that poor communication between cells may be one of the causes of the overproliferation of cells, a condition which eventually leads to cancer.

Toluene has been shown to be able to cross the placenta and engender physiological changes in the fetus. Several case reports suggest that the manifestations of high toluene exposure during pregnancy are similar to that of fetal alcohol syndrome in the birth defects that it can cause.