Abstract
The physiological functions of man exposed for 6 hours (9.00-12.00 and 13.00-16.00) to 200 ppm concentration of toluene gas were polygraphically investigated to obtain the data substantiating the maximum allowable concentration in industrial hygiene.
Subjects consisted of volunteers of healthy 10 male students (age : 18-22). They were divided into 2 groups (controls : 5 and those exposed to the gas : 5), they laid on the bet 6 hours a day, for consecutive two days and only on the 2nd day the exposure group was exposed to 200 ppm concentration of toluene gas. The functions in each subject during the last 1 hour on both days were compared, and the tendency of the phenomena for 2nd days was compared between 2 groups.
Results thus obtained were as follows :
1) Evoked and spontaneous galvanic skin reflex : Any change was not observed.
2) Evoked vasoconstriction by finger-plethysmography : Any change was not observed.
3) Heart rate : The toluene-gas group had a tendency of statistically significant rise.
4) Respiration rate : The toluene-gas group had a tendency of rise, but it was not significant statistically.
5) Cerebral activity from EEG : The toluene-gas group had a tendency of rise in cerebral activity, but this was not significant statistically.
