-
REVIEW Open Access
Olfactory dysfunction revisited: areappraisal of work-related
olfactorydysfunction caused by chemicalsSabine Werner* and Eberhard
Nies
Abstract
Occupational exposure to numerous individual chemicals has been
associated with olfactory dysfunction, mainly inindividual case
descriptions. Comprehensive epidemiological investigations into the
olfactotoxic effect of workingsubstances show that the human sense
of smell may be impaired by exposure to metal compounds
involvingcadmium, chromium and nickel, and to formaldehyde. This
conclusion is supported by the results of animalexperiments. The
level of evidence for a relationship between olfactory dysfunction
and workplace exposure toother substances is relatively weak.
Keywords: Chemically induced anosmia, Formaldehyde, Metals,
Occupational exposure, Olfaction disorders
BackgroundMany occupational groups are reliant upon intact
olfac-tory function in order to perform their work and fortheir
safety. Examples are chefs, gas fitters, firefighters,perfumers,
sommeliers, coffee and tea tasters, grocers,workers in the chemical
industry, and domestic helpers.The importance of the olfactory
function for early detec-tion of hazardous substances with an odour
is illustratedby the specific case of an anosmic who lit a
cigarettewhilst in close proximity to a leaking petrol pipe,
therebycausing an explosion [1]. Muttray et al. [2] report thecase
of a patient who did not become aware of his olfac-tory dysfunction
until his colleagues fled their work-place, to him for no apparent
reason, owing to anintense solvent smell. In Germany, an assessment
of ol-factory function is a requirement for persons applyingfor
certification of their fitness to perform fumigation[3], and loss
of olfactory function constitutes groundsfor example for the
discharge of members of the USmilitary, including reservists, and
of coastguard em-ployees [4].
Diagnosis and assessment of olfactorydysfunctionAssessment of
olfactory function and diagnosis of olfac-tory dysfunction
requires, firstly, a detailed medical historyand examination by an
otolaryngologist [5, 6]. The med-ical history should include
information on the triggeringevents, development, complementary
symptoms, surgicaloperations, medication and toxicants. The ENT
diagnosiscomprises medical status, endoscopy of nose and
naso-pharyngeal space and evaluation of the olfactory cleft. If
aneurological disorder is suspected, an examination by aneurologist
including tests of cognition and memory couldbe necessary.
Secondly, a validated test method is neededthat enables subjective
sensory perceptions to be quanti-fied objectively. This is
essential for a standardised distinc-tion between normosmia (normal
olfactory function),hyposmia and anosmia (impaired olfactory
function andits complete loss, respectively), and hyperosmia
(olfactoryoversensitivity). A screening of global taste function
(ret-ronasal smelling) is also advantageous owing to the
closeconnection between smell and taste (patients complainingof a
dysfunctional sense of taste are in fact often sufferingfrom
olfactory impairment).Only in the last three decades have
standardised and
practicable psychophysical tests for humans been devel-oped. Of
these, UPSIT (University of Pennsylvania Smell
* Correspondence: [email protected] for
Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social
AccidentInsurance, Unit Toxicology of Industrial Chemicals, Alte
Heerstrasse 111,53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
© The Author(s). 2018 Open Access This article is distributed
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
4.0International License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, andreproduction in any medium,
provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and
the source, provide a link tothe Creative Commons license, and
indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain
Dedication
waiver(http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies
to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise
stated.
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-018-0209-6
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Identification Test [7]) and the “Sniffin’ Sticks” testwidely
used in Europe [8, 9], are important examples.“Sniffin’ Sticks” are
felt sticks that release aromatic
substances when the cap of the stick is removed. In
con-ventional form, they permit threshold, discriminationand
identification tests; the last two of these areabove-threshold
tests. The threshold test indicates theconcentration above which an
odour is sensed (the sen-sory threshold). As standard, n-butanol or
phenyl ethylalcohol (rose scent) are used for testing. The
non-verbaldiscrimination test examines the ability to
distinguishbetween odours. In the identification test, 16 odours
aretested for recognition [10]. This is a structured, reliableand
validated test system that is widely used in Europeand is readily
available. Extensive validation studies anddefined standard values
exist for this test [11, 12]. Regu-larly updated standardised
values are published for ex-ample on the website of the
Interdisciplinary CenterSmell & Taste (University Clinic
Dresden) [13].A similar identification test used in America is
the
UPSIT method, in which up to 40 odorants, microen-capsulated on
a sheet of paper, are released by scratchingwith the point of a
pencil. In this test, the various odor-ants must be identified with
reference to a list of fourterms per substance. The test kit has a
long shelf life, isvery well validated and is widely used. The
UPSIT testdoes not require clinician supervision and is
thereforevery convenient. International versions are also
available;they have however rarely been validated specifically
forindividual countries. A drawback of the test is that itstudies
only the identification of odours.Where patients might not be able
to comply with psycho-
physical testing, or in medico-legal assessments, the olfac-tory
dysfunction can be assessed objectively by recordingelectrical
activity of the brain (olfactory event-related poten-tials, OERPs)
following presentation of odours. Thismethod requires virtually no
active participation on thepart of the test subject, and has been
used since the1970s. It involves the application of olfactory
stimuli tothe nose of the test subject with the aid of an
olfactom-eter. The stimuli trigger corresponding OERPs, whichcan
then be registered on electrodes applied to the testsubject’s head.
The use of an electro-olfactograph (therecording of generator
potential via an electrode incontact with the olfactory epithelium)
is limited to re-search. Olfactory functional imaging methods such
asPET (positron emission tomography) and fMRI (func-tional magnetic
resonance imaging) are also largely lim-ited to research
applications [5, 6].Important information on the toxic properties
of
inhaled substances that may affect olfaction has beenobtained
from experiments on animals. Besides histo-logical analyses of the
olfactory epithelium, the resultsof behavioural tests are also
relevant. Since the
laboratory animal is not able to communicate activelyto the
researcher whether or not it senses an odour,an operant
conditioning test is usually performed. Insuch a test, mice for
example are first taught toexpect a reward (such as water following
restrictedaccess to water) after sensing a certain
olfactorystimulus. The animals are then presented with otherodours
that are not followed by a reward, in additionto the odour that
they have learnt to associate withthe reward. Where the animal has
recognised the cor-rect odour and looks for its reward, this can be
regis-tered, for example by means of a light barrier (for adetailed
description, see Kuner and Schaefer 2011[14]; an up-to-date
overview with detailed test proto-cols can be found in Zou et al.
2016 [15]).
Work-related olfactory dysfunctionThe prevalence of olfactory
dysfunction in the wider popu-lation is estimated at around 5% (for
functional anosmia)[16]. It is considerably more common among older
people,and around a quarter of the population aged over 50
exhibitan impaired sense of smell. The results of recent
studiessuggest that specific anosmias, the failure to sense a
specificodour, are far more prevalent than was previously
assumedand are the norm rather than the exception [16, 17].
Theproportion of olfactory dysfunction caused by
occupationalexposure remains unclear. Figures for olfactory
dysfunctioncaused by exposure to the effects of chemicals and
pharma-ceuticals fluctuate between 0.5 and 5% of all cases [18].
Ac-cording to a large-scale survey of all ear, nose and
throatclinics in the German-speaking world, covering 79,000
pa-tients, 2% of the cases had toxic causes [19]. A recent Bel-gian
publication covering a substantially smaller collectiveof 496
patients with exclusively non-sinusoidal complaintsfrom a
specialist clinical centre assumed that 3.4% weretoxic in origin
[20]. “Idiopathic” cases of olfactory dysfunc-tion, which are put
at between 10 and 25%, may howeverinclude cases of chemically
induced damage caused byworkplace exposure not classified as such
[21, 22]. In hispaper on functional testing and dysfunction of
olfaction,Herberhold [23] assumed several decades ago that
patho-logically elevated olfactory thresholds were present inaround
30% of workers in the metals and chemical indus-try, possibly
rising to around 50% with increasing age andincreasing duration of
exposure to the hazardous sub-stances. Today’s working conditions
and exposures areclearly not comparable with those of the 1970s; in
her re-view however, Dalton 2010 [24] also cites a questionnaireand
survey conducted in 1995 among 712,000 individualsin Canada and the
USA which revealed that factoryworkers of all ages reported a
weaker sense of smell andperformed significantly worse in an
olfactory test thanmembers of other occupational groups.
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 2 of 26
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According to Herberhold [23], thermal, mechanicaland chemical
noxae may lead to olfactory dysfunction,the effects triggered by
chemicals being more pro-nounced the more active the chemical
substance, thesmaller the particles, and the longer the duration of
ex-posure of the sensory apparatus to them. Occupationalexposure to
numerous industrial chemicals, notablythose that are irritative and
corrosive to the mucousmembranes or harmful to the nerves, is
associated withthe incidence of olfactory dysfunction (see for
exampleKlimek et al. 1999 [25] and Muttray et al. 2006 [26]). Inhis
overview, Amoore [27] lists over 100 substances pre-sumed capable
of causing olfactory dysfunction. This in-formation is based almost
entirely upon case reportsrather than on large-scale studies. The
discussion belowtherefore gives consideration to the substances
associatedwith occupational olfactory dysfunction that have
beenstudied under standardised conditions in epidemiologicalstudies
and studies of test subjects. The results of relevantanimal
experiments concerning the substances identifiedin this way that to
some extent permit conclusions regard-ing the possible mechanism of
action are also presented.
Industrial chemicals with a potential impact uponolfactionIn
order to identify industrial chemicals exposure to whichmay
potentially lead to olfactory dysfunction, a literature sur-vey was
conducted in the Pubmed database in order to iden-tify substances
characterised as olfactotoxic primarily on thebasis of
epidemiological studies and studies of test subjectsconducted under
standardised conditions. The terms “anos-mia”, “hyposmia”,
“dysosmia”, “smell disorders”, “olfactoryfunction”, “olfactory
dysfunction” and “olfaction disorders”were each combined in the
search with “occupational”, “pro-fessional” and “workplace”. In the
second step, the sub-stances identified in this way were used as
search terms incombination with the relevant clinical pictures (see
above) inorder to identify animal experiments. Relevant studies in
thebibliographies of the identified literature were
considered.Pharmacological and environmental studies associated
withthe identified industrial chemicals were also included.
Casereports, for example concerning accident-type events involv-ing
very high exposures, were disregarded.A comprehensive overview of
long-term effects of oc-
cupational exposures to metals and olfactory toxicity canbe
found in the reviews by Gobba 2006 and Sunderman2001 [21, 28]. One
aspect addressed by the recent reviewin Doty 2015 is likewise the
influence of exposure toneurotoxic substances in the environment or
at theworkplace upon the sense of smell [4]. Accordingly,
thestudies referred to in these publications will not beconsidered
in further detail in the present paper. Thefocus here lies on the
epidemiological and animal studiesnot stated there. The latter will
be described in detail.
Human studies on olfactotoxic effects caused by chemi-cals are
summarised in Table 1.
Cadmium and nickelA considerable number of epidemiological
studies demon-strate an association between exposure to metals in
theform of dusts and vapours, and occupational
olfactorydysfunction. Anosmia and hyposmia were diagnosed
forexample among workers exposed to dust containing nickelor
cadmium in plants for the production of alkaline bat-teries, nickel
refineries, and the cadmium industry.
Human studies
Cadmium exposure Nine epidemiological studies pub-lished in the
period from 1950 to 2003 [29–37] addressthe association between
workplace cadmium/nickel ex-posure and olfactory impairment. The
older studies lackclear information on the test methods and
comparisonswith non-exposed subjects [29–32]. Anosmia/hyposmiawas
detected in a significantly high proportion of the ex-posed workers
in all human studies. Differentiated sen-sory and identification
tests were conducted in threestudies [34–37]; Rydzewski et al. and
Sulkowski et al.[35, 36] describe the same data, which can
therefore alsobe counted as one. Whereas Rose et al. and Mascagni
etal. [34, 37] demonstrated that the values obtained in thesensory
threshold test were considerably higher amongthe workers than in
the control group, the identificationtest revealed no significant
differences. The sensorythreshold test for n-butanol or phenyl
ethyl alcohol isregarded as an instrument for diagnosing the
function ofthe peripheral olfactory receptor neurons. According
tothis interpretation, the ability to identify odours is
basedprimarily upon the processing of olfactory information inthe
cerebral cortex. This absolute distinction is problem-atic however,
since the sensory threshold test also encom-passes complex
functions of the central nervous system,and the identification of
odours is dependent upon the ac-tivity of the olfactory receptor
neurons.Many of the epidemiological studies that describe
the incidence of olfactory dysfunction followingexposure to
cadmium are older. In the 1950s and1960s, occupational exposure to
cadmium was appreciablyhigher than it is today, for example 0.6–236
mg/m3 in abattery factory [31]. The threshold limit values
(TLVs)proposed by the American Conference of GovernmentalIndustrial
Hygienists (ACGIH) stated a limit concentra-tion of 50 μg/m3 in
1975 and 10 μg/m3 as of 1995. Con-versely, more recently published
measured exposurevalues of 0.004–0.187 mg/m3 [32], 0.3 mg/m3 [34]
and1.53 mg/m3 (1975) and 0.0171 mg/m3 (1995) [37] demon-strate that
damage to olfactory function may arise even atlow
concentrations.
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 3 of 26
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Table
1Work-relatedolfactorydysfun
ction:Hum
anstud
ies(in
chrono
logicalo
rder)
Hum
anstud
iesReference
Occup
ation
Expo
sure
(mg/m
3 )Expo
sedworkers,
reside
nts,patients
Con
trols
Testmetho
dResults
Cadmium/nickel
a Frib
erg1950
[29]
Batteryfactory
3–15
Cd
10–150
Ni
43(group
1:long
erem
ploymen
t9–34
years)
15(group
2:shorter
employmen
t1–4
years)
–Testwith
odou
rsamples
(coffee,
perfu
me,
pepp
ermintand
petrol)
Group
1:37%
impairedsenseof
smell(32.6%:ano
smia).
Group
2:6.7%
(one
case)partially
impairedsenseof
smell.
a Baade
r1951
[30])
Batteryfactory
N.i.
8–
Testwith
odou
rsamples
(nofurthe
rde
tails)
4hypo
smicor
anosmic.
a Potts1965
[31]
Batteryfactory
Cddu
standfumes:
0.6–236(1949)
<0.5(1950)
<0.1(1956)
70–
N.i.
64%
anosmic.
a Liu
etal.1985[32]
Cadmium
smelters
Cdoxide:0.004–0.187
65–
N.i.
21.5%
anosmic.
a AdamsandCrabtree
1961
[33]
Batteryfactory
Cd:
0.028–2.76
Ni:0.0016–0.056
106
84Thresholdtestwith
phen
ol27.3%
anosmic(Co:4.8%
anosmic)
a Roseet
al.1992[34]
Factory
prod
ucing
refrige
ratin
gcoils
Cdfumes
upto
0.3
5516
Thresholdtestwith
n-bu
tano
l.Iden
tificationtest
with
10different
olfactorystim
uli
13%
severe
hypo
smia(Co:0%
),44%
weaklyhypo
smic(Co:31%).
Iden
tificationtest:nosign
ificant
difference.
a Rydzewskietal.1998[35]
a Sulkowskietal.2000[36]
Batteryfactory
Atm
osph
ericcadm
ium
concen
trations:0.05–2.1
7343
forestry
workers
Threshold
iden
tificationtest
with
mod
ified
Elsberg-Levys
metho
d
Sign
ificantlyim
pairedability
tode
tect
andiden
tifyod
ours.
Overallresult:26%
hypo
smia,
17.8%
parosm
ia,1.4%
anosmia
(Co:30.2%
parosm
ia,69.8
norm
osmia).
a Mascagn
ietal.2003[37]
Workersin
acadm
ium
foun
dry
andsinteringplant
Cadmium
concen
trations
(max.):
1.530(1975)
-0.0171
(1995);b
y1978,the
measuremen
tresults
hadalreadydrop
ped
substantially
below
1(at0.207)
3339
driversand
storekeepe
rs,
23welde
rs
Thresholdtestwith
phen
ylethyl
alcoho
lIden
tificationtest
with
Wrig
ht’s
confusionmatrices
Olfactorythresholdsign
ificantly
high
erin
Cdworkersthan
incontrols.
Iden
tificationtest:nosign
ificant
difference(a
non-sign
ificant
impairm
entin
cadm
ium
workers).
Overallresults:
3.1%
anosmic,3.1%
severely
hypo
smic,24.1%
mildly/m
oderately
hypo
smic(welde
rs:0%
anosmic,
4.3%
severelyhypo
smic,8.7%
mildly/
mod
eratelyhypo
smic;C
o:0%
anosmic,0%
severelyhypo
smic,
7.7%
mildly/m
oderatelyhypo
smic).
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 4 of 26
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Table
1Work-relatedolfactorydysfun
ction:Hum
anstud
ies(in
chrono
logicalo
rder)(Con
tinued)
Hum
anstud
iesReference
Occup
ation
Expo
sure
(mg/m
3 )Expo
sedworkers,
reside
nts,patients
Con
trols
Testmetho
dResults
a 2stud
iesfro
mUSSRcitedin
Sund
erman
[28]:
(Tatarskaya1960)
(Kucharin
1970)
ElectrolyticNi
refinery
ElectrolyticNi
refinery
N.i.
N.i.
N.i.
458
N.i.
N.i.
N.i.
N.i.
Freq
uent
olfactoryim
pairm
ent,
atroph
icnasalm
ucosa,nasalsep
tal
ulceratio
nandsinu
sitis.
Ano
smiain
114/251workers(46%
)with
chronicsinu
sitis;lesssevere
loss
ofsm
ellinotherNi-exposed
workers.
Chrom
ium
Seeb
eret
al.1976[53]
Chrom
epaint
plant(m
anufacture
ofbasiczinc
chromate(zinc
yellow))
Values
exceed
ed0.1
CrO
3air,androse
atcertainpo
intsto
upto
20CrO
3.Moreprecise
values
areno
tstated
.
5chronically
expo
sed
workers,14interm
itten
tlyexpo
sedworkers(not
long
erthan
2hpe
rday),
5mask-wearin
gworkers
(wearin
gfine-du
stfilter
masks
forthefull
duratio
n)
9officeworkersat
thesamecompany,
23em
ployeesat
hospital
Testwith
odou
rstrip
s(6
different
stim
uliin8
concen
trations)
Olfactorysensitivity
ofcontrolg
roup
andno
n-expo
sedindividu
als
substantially
high
erthan
that
ofexpo
sedindividu
als.
“Significant”relatio
nshipbe
tween
chromium
expo
sure
andloss
ofolfaction.
Chron
icallyexpo
sedindividu
als:
damageto
thenasalm
ucou
smem
brane.
Interm
itten
tlyexpo
sedgrou
pand
workerswith
amask:damageto
the
nasalm
ucou
smem
braneon
lyinapart.
Seeb
erandFikentsche
r1980
[54]
Seeabove
Occup
ationalexposure
“sub
stantially
redu
ced”
bysuitablemeasures
(not
specified
)
3chronically
expo
sed
workers,9
interm
itten
tlyexpo
sedworkers(not
long
erthan
2hpe
rday)
4mask-wearin
gworkers
(wearin
gfine-du
stfilter
masks
forthefull
duratio
n)
7officeworkersat
thesamecompany,
23em
ployeesat
hospital
Seeabove
Con
firmationof
therelatio
nship
betw
eenthepatholog
icalnasal
mucou
smem
branefinding
sand
olfactorydysfun
ctionin
16workers
expo
sedto
different
levels.
Noim
provem
entin
themucou
smem
braneor
olfaction.
a WatanabeandFukuchi
(1981)
[55]
Chrom
ate
prod
uctio
nplant
AirCrconcen
tration
of20.17according
to[56]
33–
T&Tolfactom
eter
(odo
urde
tection
thresholdand
odou
rrecogn
ition
)
“Middleandhigh
gradede
crease
ofod
orrecogn
ition
faculty”in
18workers(54.5%
)includ
ing2anosmiac,
oneof
who
malso
complaine
dof
atastedisorder.
51%
exhibitednasalsep
tum
perfo
ratio
ns.
Relatio
nbe
tweende
gree
ofolfaction
loss
anddu
ratio
nof
employmen
tin
thechromateprod
ucingfactory.
a Kitamuraet
al.2003[56]
Crplatingfactory
Average
atmosph
eric
concen
trationwas
0.0228
2734
T&Tolfactom
eter
(odo
urde
tection
thresholdand
odou
rrecogn
ition
)Olfactory
percep
tion
thresholdtest
Nosign
ificant
differences
forsensory
andpe
rcep
tionthreshold.
Sign
ificantlyhigh
ervalues
forthe
odou
rrecogn
ition
testthan
thosefor
controls,p
ositive
correlationwith
duratio
nof
expo
sure.
Non
eof
Crworkersshow
ednasal
septum
perfo
ratio
nor
ulceratio
n.
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 5 of 26
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Table
1Work-relatedolfactorydysfun
ction:Hum
anstud
ies(in
chrono
logicalo
rder)(Con
tinued)
Hum
anstud
iesReference
Occup
ation
Expo
sure
(mg/m
3 )Expo
sedworkers,
reside
nts,patients
Con
trols
Testmetho
dResults
Aiyer
etal.2003
Chrom
ium
plating
indu
stry
N.i.
28–
N.i.
11workersanosmic(nasalseptal
perfo
ratio
nof
different
magnitude
son
allexposed
workers,m
ajority
with
initialsymptom
ofnasalirritatio
n).
Mangane
sea Lucchinietal.1997[58]
Ferroalloy
prod
uctio
nplant
Mangane
sedu
stexpo
sure:0.026–0.750
(geo
metric
mean:0.193)
3537
Olfactory
percep
tion
thresholdto
PM-carbino
l(3-m
ethyl-1-
phen
ylpe
ntan-3-ol
dilutio
nseries)
Nosign
ificant
differences
(alth
ough
itwas
negativelyassociated
with
Mn
levelsin
urinein
theexpo
sedgrou
p)
a Mergler
etal.1994[59]
Ferrom
angane
seandsilicom
angane
sealloyplant
Mangane
sedu
stexpo
sure:0.014–11.48
TotalM
nlevelsin
dust:
0.89
(geo
metric
mean)
Mangane
seconten
tof
respirabledu
stfraction:
0.001and1.273
(geo
metric
mean:0.04)
74(m
atched
pairs)
74Olfactory
percep
tion
thresholdto
PM-
carbinol
Sign
ificantlyincreasedolfactory
percep
tionam
ongworkerscompared
tocontrols.
a Antun
eset
al.2007[60]
a Bow
leret
al.2007[61]
SanFrancisco/
Oakland
BayBridge
welde
rs
Atm
osph
eric
mangane
selevelslay
betw
een0.11
and0.46
(55%
>0.20)
43welde
rs43
(matched
byage,
sex,ed
ucationand
smokingstatus
from
thedatabase
ofthe
University
ofPenn
sylvaniaSm
ell
andTasteCen
ter)
UPSITiden
tification
test
Sign
ificantlyweakerolfactoryfunctio
nof
welde
rsthan
incontrols.
Scoreof
88%
oftheworkersbe
low
theirindividu
allymatched
controls.
3%of
thewelde
rswereanosmic.
Better
olfactoryfunctio
nin
workers
with
thehigh
estMnbloo
dlevelsthan
thosewith
thelowestMnbloo
dlevels.
Bowleret
al.2011[62]
Follow-upstud
ythreeandahalf
yearslater
–26
welde
rsfro
mthe
SanFrancisco/Oakland
BayBridge
welde
rstud
y(13stud
yparticipantswereno
long
erworking
aswelde
rs)
–UPSITiden
tification
test
Nosign
ificant
differences
from
earlier
finding
s.Thebloo
d-mangane
selevelsof
the
form
erworkersweresign
ificantly
lower
than
thoseof
theircolleagues.
Senet
al.2011[63]
Welde
rsCum
ulativeMn
expo
sure
(mg/m
3 xyears):
Welde
rs0.881(±
0.567)
Con
trols0.002(±
0.0003)
7welde
rs7
MRI
Increasedmangane
sede
positio
nin
theolfactorybu
lbandin
othe
rregion
sof
thebrain.
Nostatisticallysign
ificant
differences
intheolfactorytestbe
tweenthetw
ogrou
ps(datano
tshow
n).
Guarneros
etal.(2013)
Person
slivingin
proxim
ityto
amangane
seplant
Elevated
mangane
sehairconcen
tration
(mean0.00973vs.
0.00101)
30pe
rson
sliving
with
inaon
e-kilometre
radius
ofaMexican
mangane
semine
30controlsliving
morethan
50km
away
Sniffin’Sticks
olfactorytestseries
(thresho
ld,
discrim
inationand
iden
tificationtests)
Sign
ificantlydiminishe
dolfactory
functio
nin
thoselivingcloseto
the
mangane
semine(in
threshold,
discrim
inationandiden
tificationtests).
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 6 of 26
-
Table
1Work-relatedolfactorydysfun
ction:Hum
anstud
ies(in
chrono
logicalo
rder)(Con
tinued)
Hum
anstud
iesReference
Occup
ation
Expo
sure
(mg/m
3 )Expo
sedworkers,
reside
nts,patients
Con
trols
Testmetho
dResults
Lucchini
etal.2012[65]
Reside
ntsof
Valcam
onica:
Italianregion
,markedby
ferrou
salloyplantsun
til2001
Average
Mnatmosph
eric
andsoilvalues
atthe
timeof
thestud
y:0.0495,958
154youn
gpe
ople
aged
betw
een11
and14
157youn
gpe
ople
from
Lake
Garda
region
Sniffin’Sticks
(iden
tificationtest)
Sign
ificantlypo
orer
olfactoryfunctio
nassociated
with
Mnconten
tin
thesoil.
Iann
illietal.2016
Valcam
onica(see
above)
andBo
gnolo
Mella:reg
ions
with
ahistoryof
high
Mn
contam
ination
–9youn
gpe
oplefro
mValcam
onicaand
Bagn
oloMella
expo
sedto
mangane
se
4youn
gpe
ople
from
theLake
Garda
region
Sniffin’Sticks
(iden
tificationtest),
fMRT
(respon
seactivity
toolfactory
tasks)
Nosign
ificantlydifferent
results
ofthe
iden
tificationtestbe
tweenthetw
ogrou
ps.
Redu
ctionin
activity
inrelevant
olfactorybrainregion
s.In
comparison
with
alarger
control
grou
pfro
madatabase,significant
differences
wereob
served
with
regard
tothesize
oftheolfactory
bulb
andin
theolfactorytest
involvingSniffin’Sticks.
Casjenet
al.2017[67]
Blue
collarworkers
Med
ian:58.3μg
/m3x
years
(interquartile
rang
e19–185
μg/m
3xyears)
354
1031
Sniffin’Sticks
(iden
tificationtest)
Norelevant
associationof
form
erMn
expo
sure
atrelativelylow
levelswith
impairedolfaction.
Zinc
Pyatayev
etal.1971[73]
Zinc
prod
uctio
nplant
Zinc
oxide,zinc
sulfate
andmetaldu
sts.
Co-expo
sure
tofurthe
rstrong
lycorrosiveand
irritant
substances
301
63Olfactom
eter
employingmint
anddilute
acetic
acid
Sign
ificant
elevations
ofsensory
thresholds.
Elevations
werehigh
estam
ong
workersrespon
sibleforroastin
gthe
zinc
ore.
Ano
nymou
s1938,aTisdall
etal.1938[74,75]
(Treatmen
tin
specialclinicswith
zinc
innasalspray
forpreven
tionof
poliomyelitis
infection)
Nasalspraysolutio
ncontaining
1%zinc
sulfate
and0.5%
tetracaine
5233
children(4713
(received
two
spraying
s)+520
(received
one
spraying
))
6300
N.i.
Nomorethan
aqu
arterexhibited
tempo
rary
anosmia.
a Tisdallet
al.1938[75]
(Patientstreatedby
thesame
otolaryngo
logists,
butin
theirprivate
practices)
Seeabove
5000
childrenand
adults
–N.i.
6mon
thsfollowingtreatm
ent:44
ofthepatientswerepe
rmanen
tlyanosmic(52with
disturbances
ofsm
elland
taste).
Davidsonet
al.2010[76]
(NasalDysfunctio
nClinicof
the
University
ofCaliforniain
SanDiego
)
Intranasalzinc
glucon
atege
l10
patients
–n-Bu
tano
lthreshold
UPSIT
(iden
tificationtest)
3subjectswith
anosmiaand7with
hypo
smia.
Alexand
eret
al.2006[77]
(See
above)
Intranasalzinc
glucon
atege
l17
patients
–n-Bu
tano
lthreshold,
Impairedolfactionin
allp
atients:
7patientsanosmic,10hypo
smic.
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 7 of 26
-
Table
1Work-relatedolfactorydysfun
ction:Hum
anstud
ies(in
chrono
logicalo
rder)(Con
tinued)
Hum
anstud
iesReference
Occup
ation
Expo
sure
(mg/m
3 )Expo
sedworkers,
reside
nts,patients
Con
trols
Testmetho
dResults
iden
tificationtest
employingseven
know
nod
orants
andon
esubstance
fortestingthe
trigem
inalfunctio
n,UPSIT(9
patients)
Traumaandinfectionwereruledou
tas
causes
ofhypo
smiaandanosmia
diagno
sedin
15of
thesepatientsin
therelevant
tests.
Jafeket
al.2004[78]
(Spe
cial“Taste
and
SmellC
enter”at
the
University
ofColoradoScho
olof
Med
icine)
Use
ofzinc
glucon
atege
l10
patients
–N.i.
Sufferin
gof
severe
hypo
smiain
conjun
ctionwith
parosm
iaor
anosmiafollowinguseof
zinc
glucon
atege
l.
“Pesticides”
a Calvertet
al.1998[102]
Structural
fumigationworkers
Lifetim
edu
ratio
nof
methylb
romideand
sulfurylfluoride
expo
sure:1.2and
2.85
years
Sulfurylfluoridevalues
ofearlier
NIOSH
measuremen
ts:b
elow
20
123
120
UPSIT
(iden
tificationtest)
Sign
ificantlyweakerolfactoryfunctio
nin
workerswith
high
sulfurylfluoride
expo
sure
over
theyear
preced
ing
exam
ination.
Quand
tet
al.2016[104]
Latin
ofarm
workers
Lifetim
eexpo
sure.
Totalyearsin
jobs
involvingpe
sticide
expo
sure:farmworkers
13.11(m
ean),n
on-
farm
workers3.84
(mean)
304
247
Sniffin’Sticks
Kit
(iden
tificationtest
andthresholdtest
with
n-bu
tano
l)
Nodifferencein
odou
riden
tification
perfo
rmance
butsign
ificantlyhigh
erod
ourthresholds.
Form
alde
hyde
a Holmström
andWilhelmsson
1988
[111]
Workersat
achem
icalplant
whe
reform
alde
hyde
andprod
uctsbased
onform
alde
hyde
wereprod
uced
0.05–0.5form
alde
hyde
(forthegrou
pof
workersim
preg
natin
gpape
rup
to1)
7036
(office
workers
with
0.9mean
expo
sure
toform
alde
hyde
)
Sensorythreshold
testem
ploying
pyrid
ine
Sign
ificantlyredu
cedolfactory
functio
n.
a Holmström
andWilhelmsson
1988
[111]
Workwith
glued
woo
din
the
prod
uctio
nof
furnitu
re
0.2–0.3(fo
rmalde
hyde
)1–2(woo
ddu
st)
100
36Seeabove
Sign
ificantlyredu
cedolfactory
functio
n(but
nodifferencebe
tween
theform
alde
hyde
andthe
form
alde
hyde
-woo
ddu
stgrou
ps).
a Hisam
itsuet
al.2011[112]
Med
icalstud
ents
durin
gcadaver
dissectio
n
0.64–1.2(m
iddleof
the
labo
ratory),0.28–0.88
(inthecorners)
41–
Nagashimajet
nebu
lising
olfactiontestwith
brom
ine(detectio
nthreshold)
Sign
ificantlydiminishe
dolfactory
functio
n(32%
,tem
porary).
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 8 of 26
-
Table
1Work-relatedolfactorydysfun
ction:Hum
anstud
ies(in
chrono
logicalo
rder)(Con
tinued)
Hum
anstud
iesReference
Occup
ation
Expo
sure
(mg/m
3 )Expo
sedworkers,
reside
nts,patients
Con
trols
Testmetho
dResults
Kilburnet
al.1985[113]
Histology
technicians
0.25–2.38(exposureto
othe
rsolven
tssuch
asxylene
,toluene
andalso
chloroform
)
7656
Questionn
aire
Sign
ificantlymoreself-repo
rted
frequ
entredu
cedsenseof
smellin
histolog
ytechnicians
(32%
ofthewom
enwho
were
expo
sedto
form
alde
hyde
for1to
3handlikew
ise32%
ofthewom
enwho
wereexpo
sedforover
4h
stated
that
theirolfactoryfunctio
nwas
diminishe
d,5%
Co).
Edlinget
al.1988[114]
Workersat
different
plants(laminate
plants,p
article
boardplants)
0.1–1.1with
expo
sure
peaksof
upto
5(fo
rmalde
hyde
),0.6–1.1
(woo
ddu
st)
7525
Histological
exam
ination
Patholog
icalchange
sof
thenasal
mucou
smem
branein
72individu
als.
Acrylates
a Schwartzet
al.1989[119]
Workersat
achem
ical
facilitymanufacturin
gacrylatesand
methacrylates
0.0416–232.96ethyl
acrylate
andacrylic
acid
(mostly
arou
nd30
for
acrylic
acid
and20.8for
ethylacrylate)
55(high)
164(low)
512
UPSIT
(iden
tificationtest)
Noassociationin
thefirstinstance
betw
eenexpo
sure
andresults
ofolfactorytests.
a Schwartzet
al.1989[119]
embe
dded
case-con
trol
stud
ySeeabove
Seeabove
7777
Dose-effect
relatio
nshipbe
tween
olfactorydysfun
ctionandcumulative
expo
sure;the
effect
appe
ared
tobe
reversible.
Workerswho
hadne
versm
oked
had
thehigh
estrelativeriskof
olfactory
dysfun
ction.
Muttray
etal.1997[120]
Che
micalworkersin
acrylic
sheetprod
uctio
nMethylm
ethacrylate
(MMA):104–416(1988),
41.6–208
(1989–1994),
9.6±7.1years(m
ean
duratio
nof
MMA
expo
sure)
175
88Rh
inoIden
tification
Test(6
tested
arom
as,very
similarin
design
totheUPSITtest)
Nosign
ificant
differencebe
tween
expo
sedworkersandcontrolg
roup
.
Muttray
etal.2007[121]
Health
yvolunteers
208MMAandroom
airin
anexpo
sure
cham
berat
aninterval
ofon
eweek,in
each
case
for4h
20–
Olfactorythreshold
forn-bu
tano
l(Sniffin’Sticks)
Olfactorythreshold:
nochange
s.
Styren
ea Che
nget
al.2004[123]
Injection-mou
lding
workersexpo
sedto
acrylonitrile-butadiene
-styren
e(m
ainly
manufacture
ofcompu
tershells)
–52
72Olfactorythreshold
testem
ploying
1-bu
tano
l,CCCRC
olfactory
test(id
entification)
Slight
butsign
ificant
redu
ctionin
olfactoryfunctio
n(thresho
ld)at
the
endof
theshift
(whe
reas
theinitial
situationat
thebe
ginn
ingof
theshift
hadbe
enthesame).
Theiden
tificationtestrevealed
nodifferences
before
andaftertheshift.
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 9 of 26
-
Table
1Work-relatedolfactorydysfun
ction:Hum
anstud
ies(in
chrono
logicalo
rder)(Con
tinued)
Hum
anstud
iesReference
Occup
ation
Expo
sure
(mg/m
3 )Expo
sedworkers,
reside
nts,patients
Con
trols
Testmetho
dResults
a Daltonet
al.2003[124]
Workersin
the
reinforced
-plastics
indu
stry
Meanairborne
styren
econcen
trations:89.2
(day
1),106.1(day
2)Means
andrang
esof
historicexpo
suresto
airborne
styren
efor
individu
alworkers
(n=52):57.37
(15.16–134.23)
Cum
ulativemean
expo
sure:675.48
(59.75–1420.24)
Peak
year
expo
sure:
112.58
(22.52–331.25)
5252
Olfactorythreshold
forph
enylethyl
alcoho
land
styren
e,retron
asalod
our
iden
tificationtest
with
fivestim
uli,
iden
tificationtest
with
20od
orants
Nosign
ificant
differences
betw
een
styren
e-expo
sedworkersand
matched
controlsin
theresults
ofthe
phen
ylethylalcoh
olthresholdtest,
retron
asaltest,orod
ouriden
tification
test.
Sign
ificantlydifferent
odou
rde
tection
thresholds
forstyren
eam
ongexpo
sed
andun
expo
sedgrou
ps.
a Daltonet
al.2007[125]
Workersin
areinforced
plasticsbo
at-
manufacturin
gfacility
Calculatedeffective
meanconcen
tration
ofstyren
ein
air:43.3–108.25
(measuredairborne
styren
econcen
trationforthisgrou
p:303.1–346.4)
1515
Olfactorythreshold
forph
enylethyl
alcoho
l(PEA)and
styren
e,iden
tificationtest
with
18od
orants
Nosign
ificant
differencein
olfactory
thresholdforPEA.Significantdifference
inthethresholdtestinvolvingstyren
eam
ongexpo
sedandun
expo
sed
grou
ps.
Sign
ificant
differencein
the
iden
tificationtestbe
tweenworkers
with
high
vs.low
expo
sure
(possible
explanations:m
oreindividu
alswith
poor
values
inbo
thgrou
psthan
inno
rmalpo
pulatio
n,cultu
raland
educationald
ifferen
cesbe
tweenthe
twogrou
ps).
Organicsolven
tsandmineral
oilp
rodu
cts
a Schwartzet
al.1990[130]
Workersin
paint
manufacturin
gfacilities
Solven
ts:toluene
,xylen
eand
methylethylketone
Lifetim
ehydrocarbo
ndo
sein
ppm
years(average
sat
the
twoprod
uctio
nplants):180
(±128),97(±70)
187
–UPSITiden
tification
test
Sign
ificant
dose-dep
ende
ntde
terio
ratio
nin
olfactoryfunctio
nwith
risinglifetim
eexpo
sure
amon
gworkerswho
hadne
versm
oked
.
a Sandm
arket
al.1989[131]
Painters
Noqu
antitativeexpo
sure
measuremen
t(described
as“lo
wto
mod
erate”)
5442
UPSITiden
tification
test
Nostatisticallysign
ificant
impairm
ent
ofolfactoryfunctio
nafteradjustmen
tforageandsm
okinghabits.
Stud
iescitedin
Muttray
etal.
1998
[133]:(Drago
mitretzky
etal.1970)
(Kmita
1953)
(Latkowskietal.1981[134])
Workersat
ashoe
factory,
petroleum
chem
istry
workers
Ape
troleum
mixture
(“Galoscha”),ethylacetate
andbu
tylacetate
(solvent
concen
tration:220–300),
rubb
eradhe
sive
containing
petroleum
(upto
3000)
N.i.
216
205
547
N.i.
N.i.
100(cottonindu
stry
workers)
N.i.
N.i.
Smelland
taste
tests
31%
sufferedtheloss
ofolfactory
functio
n,andam
ongtheremaind
er,
olfactoryfunctio
nwas
impairedin
comparison
toacontrolg
roup
.Olfactorydysfun
ctionas
aresultof
rhinitisaroseafterafew
years.
Hyposmiain
238(43.5%
)andanosmia
in50
(9.2%)subjects.
Dysge
usiain
319(58.3%
).
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 10 of 26
-
Table
1Work-relatedolfactorydysfun
ction:Hum
anstud
ies(in
chrono
logicalo
rder)(Con
tinued)
Hum
anstud
iesReference
Occup
ation
Expo
sure
(mg/m
3 )Expo
sedworkers,
reside
nts,patients
Con
trols
Testmetho
dResults
(Co:dysgeusiain
69%,ano
smiain
24%
ofsubjects).
a Ahlstrom
etal.1986[132]
Tank
cleane
rsMineraloilp
rodu
cts(heavy
andlight
oils,hydrocarbon
conten
t:240–1615)
2040
Thresholdtest,
perceivedod
our
intensity
test
(pyridine,dimethyl
disulfide
,n-butanol
andhe
ated
oil
vapo
ur)
Elevated
olfactorythresholdvalues
for
heated
oilvapou
randn-bu
tano
lin
comparison
tocontrols(fo
rn-bu
tano
lwith
intheno
rmalrang
e,oilvapou
rhadno
tbe
enstud
iedin
thisrespect
before).
Highe
rthresholdvalues
foralltested
substances
exhibitedby
tank
cleane
rsexpo
sedon
edaypriorto
thetestin
comparison
toindividu
alsexpo
sed
earlier.
Lower
odou
rintensity
values
atthe
loweststim
ulus
concen
trations
forall
4substances
incomparison
tothose
ofcontrolsub
jects(“o
dour
intensity
recruitm
ent”).
N.i.no
tindicated,
Cocontrolg
roup
,astud
ieswhich
have
alread
ybe
endiscussedin
thereview
sby
Sund
erman
,Gob
baan
dDoty[4,2
1,28
]
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 11 of 26
-
Nickel exposure With the exception of the studiesstated by
Sunderman, we are not aware of any studiesinto the association
between workplace nickel exposureand olfactory dysfunction.
Sunderman [28] cites twostudies from the former Soviet Union from
1960 and1970, according to which workers exposed to nickel
inelectrolytic nickel refineries exhibited olfactory
dysfunc-tion/anosmia in addition to atrophy of the nasal
mucousmembrane, chronic sinusitis and ulceration of the
nasalseptum.In the studies cited concerning cadmium, the
workers
were often exposed not only to cadmium, but also tonickel (see
above). Whereas in the 1940s, occupationalnickel exposure of 10–150
mg/m3 for example was pos-sible [29], considerably lower values of
up to 0.056 mg/m3 were measured in the publication by Adams
andCrabtree in 1961 [33]. ACGIH currently sets a TLV of1.5 mg/m3
for the inhalable fraction of nickel.
Animal experimental studies
Cadmium exposure Following inhalation tests on rats(250 and 500
μg/m3 CdO, 5 h per day, 5 days per week for20 weeks), an elevated
cadmium level was determined inthe olfactory bulb. This was
accompanied neither by sig-nificant histopathological changes in
the mucous mem-brane, nor by a reduction in the olfactory function
[38].In another animal experiment, administration of 400 μg
of CdCl2 to mice by intranasal instillation resulted in par-tial
damage to the olfactory epithelium, reversible loss ofolfactory
discrimination, and specific cadmium depositionin the olfactory
bulb but not in other parts of the centralnervous system [39].
Czarnecki et al. [40] also observedanosmia in a behavioural test
following intranasal instilla-tion of a cadmium chloride solution
in mice. They furtherdemonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in
theodour-induced release of neurotransmitters from the ol-factory
nerve into the olfactory bulb. Moreover, a 20%drop in the dendrite
density of the olfactory epitheliumwas described at the highest
dose (20 μg CdCl2). In furtherexperiments, Czarnecki et al.
demonstrated a clear cad-mium accumulation on mice specifically in
the olfactorybulb by bilateral instillation of a buffer solution of
20 μg ofCdCl2 per nostril. The accumulation was still measurable4
weeks after exposure. A reduction in the axonal termi-nals of the
olfactory receptor neurons was also demon-strated histologically. A
decrease in neurotransmitterrelease in response to olfactory
stimulation was detectedin vivo on the mice exposed to cadmium
(intranasal instil-lation with 0.2, 2 and 20 μg CdCl2) 2, 7 and 28
days afterexposure. After the laboratory animals treated with
cad-mium had exhibited significant olfactory deficits in a
be-havioural test, these deficits disappeared after two weeksof
olfactory training; however, the mice with restored
olfaction continued to exhibit damaged projections of
theolfactory receptor neurons in the results of opticalimaging.
Czarnecki et al. conclude from this that restor-ation of olfactory
function is attributable to neuroplasti-city: the brain, they
assume, has learnt to reinterpret thereduced stimuli appropriately.
Such processes of neuronalplasticity could mask severe damage by
neurotoxic sub-stances [41].Cadmium-induced olfactory impairment
was also con-
firmed in fish [42]: after 8-h exposure to 347 ppb of Cdin fresh
seawater, coho salmon exhibited not only histo-logical changes to
the olfactory epithelium and dimin-ished olfaction in the
behavioural test (for example lossof the tonic immobility response
to olfactory alarm sig-nals), but also significantly reduced
expression of olfac-tory receptors and increased expression of
enzymesinvolved in the antioxidant reaction in relation tometals.
During 48-h exposure to 3.7 ppb, tonic immo-bility responses were
diminished and histologicalchanges to the olfactory epithelium
likewise occurredthat were not as pronounced as in the highly
exposedfish group.
Nickel exposure Inhalation of NiSO4 (0.635 mg, 6 h perday, 16
days) caused atrophy of the olfactory epitheliumin rats, α-Ni3S2
additional chronic inflammation of thenasal tissue. Significant
impairment of olfaction was notrecorded [43–47]. Studies on rats
and apes confirm thetransport of nickel into the olfactory bulb
following in-halation of soluble NiSO4 [47]. Following intranasal
in-stillation of 63Ni2+ in rats, the uptake pathway wastracked from
the olfactory epithelium, via the axons ofthe primary olfactory
neurons, into the glomeruli in theolfactory bulb and into further
parts of the brain [48]. Amaximum 63Ni2+ transport rate of 0.13
mm/h was mea-sured in the olfactory neurons of pike [49]. In a
recentexamination by Jia et al. [50], intranasal instillation
ofnickel sulfate (0.5 and 2.5 mg/kg) in mice led todose-dependent
and time-dependent atrophy of the ol-factory epithelium of the
turbinate bone, but not of theseptum. The sustentacular cells were
affected first byapoptotic cell loss on the first day post
exposure, the ol-factory receptor neurons on the third day; a
significantincrease in cell proliferation in the olfactory
epitheliumwas detected after 5 to 7 days.Neuronal signal
transduction by calcium and apoptosis
is a factor in olfactory impairment by nickel: accordingto Zhao
et al. [51], NiSO4 is capable of inducing apop-tosis by activation
of the death receptor 3 and caspase-8and subsequent activation of
caspase-3; Jia et al. suspectNiSO4-induced apoptosis of the
olfactory receptor neu-rons to be attributable to this mechanism.
Moreover, ac-cording to Gautam et al. [52], Ni2+ can reduce
theodour-induced calcium influx by inhibition of the T-type
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Ca2+ channels in the olfactory receptor neurons,
therebyimpairing signal transduction.
ChromiumHuman studiesExposure to chromium is frequently
encountered incombination with nickel and other metals. According
toSeeber et al. [53], ulcers on the skin and mucous mem-brane and
perforation of the nasal septum caused bychromium were known as
long ago as 1826. Few epi-demiological studies exist of a possible
association be-tween chromium exposure and olfactory dysfunction.In
all 5 human studies known to us, deficits in the ol-
factory function of the exposed workers were detectedthat were
associated significantly with the chromium ex-posure and the
duration of employment [53–57]. Thestudy by Seeber et al. and the
follow-up research by See-ber and Fikentscher of 1976 and 1980 were
not men-tioned in the reviews by Gobba, Sunderman and Doty,and are
described accordingly in more detail here: See-ber et al. (1976)
and Seeber and Fikentscher (1980) re-ported on damage to the nasal
mucous membrane andolfactory dysfunction among workers at a chrome
paintplant in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) inwhich basic
zinc chromate (zinc yellow) was manufac-tured [53, 54]. In their
comparison between chronicallyexposed workers (5), intermittently
exposed workers (14,not longer than 2 h per day), mask-wearing
workers (5,wearing fine-dust filter masks for the full
duration),non-exposed individuals (9 office workers at the
samecompany) and a control group (23 employees at a hos-pital),
they determined by means of rhinoscopic exami-nations that damage
to the nasal mucous membrane wasevident on all five of the
chronically exposed individuals,but occurred only in a part of the
intermittently exposedgroup and among the workers wearing masks,
and notat all in the other groups. Olfactory tests involving
odourstrips for ascertaining the sensitivity to certain sub-stances
showed the olfactory sensitivity of the controlgroup and the
non-exposed individuals to be substan-tially higher than that of
the exposed individuals. Theauthors considered this relationship
between chromiumexposure and loss of olfaction to be “significant”.
Ac-cording to the authors, the dust values measured at thepoints at
which zinc chromate dust was produced clearlyexceeded the
occupational exposure limit for chromium(VI) applicable in the GDR
at this time of 0.1 mg CrO3/m3 air, and rose at certain points to
up to 200 times theoccupational exposure limit. More precise values
are notstated. Four years later, after violation of the
occupa-tional exposure limit in this plant had been
“substantiallyreduced” by suitable measures (not specified), the
work-force was examined once again. It was found that in 16workers
exposed to different levels, the relationship
between the pathological nasal mucous membrane find-ings and
olfactory dysfunction was confirmed, and thaton average, no
improvement in the mucous membraneor olfaction was detected
[54].Besides the results obtained by Watanabe and Fukuchi
(1981) and Kitamura et al. (2003), in which an impairedolfactory
function in workers in the chromate and galva-nising industry was
detected by means of the T&T ol-factometer and which have
already been described indetail in Gobba 2006, workers in
galvanising are alsoshown to be affected by olfactory dysfunction
in an In-dian publication from 2003: the authors reported on
28workers in the chromium industry aged between 22 and37 and
exposed to chromium for between 5 and 14 years.Of these, all 28
employees exhibited nasal septumperforations, and 11 were anosmic.
Information on thelevel of exposure and on the test method was not
pro-vided [57].Kitamura et al. reported chromium-induced
olfactory
dysfunction at low workplace concentrations [56]. Theexposure
values for chromium measured in this studywere 0.0047 to 0.059
mg/m3. ACGIH set a TLV of0.05 mg/m3 for water-soluble Cr (VI)
compounds and0.01 mg/m3 for insoluble Cr (VI) compounds.
Animal experimental studiesIn his review of the relationship
between exposure tometals and nasal toxicity, Sunderman cites an
animal ex-periment on rats. Following 40 days’ inhalation of
so-dium dichromate (0.2 mg/m3, 6 h per day, 40 days), therats
exhibited no morphological nasal changes. Olfactionwas not tested
[28].
ManganeseHuman studiesAccording to the results of our searches,
10 human stud-ies are available to date that examine the
association be-tween manganese exposure and impairment of the
senseof smell [58–67]. The study populations encompass notonly
exposed workers, but also persons living close to amanganese mine
and young people living in a region inwhich manganese emissions of
industrial origin were veryhigh prior to 2001. In the two studies
conducted onworkers in the metals industry [58, 59], in which only
thesensory test method was employed, the results were eithernot
significant [58] or, surprisingly, revealed a
significantlyincreased olfaction perception among the workers in
mea-surements of the sensory olfactory threshold [59]. By
com-parison, use of the olfactory identification test
employingSniffin’ Sticks on welders or the inhabitants of an
areawith elevated background manganese values revealedsignificantly
poorer values [60–62, 64–66]. In furthermagnetic or functional
resonance imaging studies, ele-vated manganese deposition in the
olfactory bulb was
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measured on welders [63] and a reduction in activity inrelevant
olfactory brain regions was measured in youngpeople living in a
region exhibiting elevated manganesevalues [66].The following
recent studies have not yet been dis-
cussed in the reviews by Sunderman, Gobba and Dotyand will
therefore be presented in more detail here:In a follow-up survey,
26 welders who had participated
in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge welder study[60, 61]
were examined three and a half years later bythe same methods.
Although 13 participants were nolonger working as welders, the
results obtained in theUPSIT did not differ significantly from the
earlier find-ings. The blood-manganese levels of the workers
whowere no longer welding were significantly lower thanthose of
their colleagues [62].For seven welders, increased manganese
deposition in
the olfactory bulb and in other regions of the brain
wasdemonstrated by means of functional magnetic reson-ance
tomography [63].Guarneros et al. (2013) conducted a Sniffin’ Sticks
ol-
factory test series encompassing threshold, discrimin-ation and
identification tests on persons living inproximity to a manganese
plant and exhibiting an ele-vated manganese concentration (mean
9.73 μg/g vs.1.01 μg/g) in their hair [64]. Significant differences
be-tween the subjects were observed. In this study, 30 per-sons
(non-smokers) living within a one-kilometre radiusof a Mexican
manganese mine were compared with 30controls living more than 50 km
away. The groups werematched by age, sex and school education; none
hadpreviously worked in a job involving manganese expos-ure. The
results of the Sniffin’ Sticks test revealed sub-stantially
diminished olfactory function in those livingclose to the manganese
mine.By means of the identification test employing Sniffin’
Sticks, Lucchini et al. also documented significantlypoorer
olfactory function associated with the Mn con-tent in the soil on
154 young people aged between 11and 14 in Valcamonica (Italy). Up
until 2001, this regionwas marked by ferrous alloy plants and the
emissionsfrom them (average Mn atmospheric and soil values atthe
time of the examination: 49.5 ng/m3 and 958 ppmrespectively). Young
people from the region around LakeGarda were tested as the control
group [65]. In a furtherstudy employing functional magnetic
resonance tomog-raphy, the activity of the brain in 9 young people
fromValcamonica and Bagnolo Mella exposed to manganesewas compared
with that of 4 young people from theLake Garda region. In the
exposed young people, a re-duction in activity in relevant
olfactory brain regionswas detected, for example in the
orbitofrontal cortexand piriform cortex and in further brain
regions typicallyassociated with olfactory function, such as the
middle
frontal gyrus and cerebellum. In comparison with a lar-ger
control group from a database, significant differenceswere also
monitored with regard to the size of the olfac-tory bulb and in the
olfactory test involving Sniffin’Sticks. Reduced activity in
comparison with that of thecontrols was also noted in the regions
of the limbic sys-tem [66].In a recent prospective cohort study,
Casjens et al.
examined the influence of work-related manganese ex-posure upon
the olfactory function. The study popula-tion comprised 1385 men,
of whom 354 had potentiallybeen exposed to manganese in their
earlier occupations.No relevant association was determined between
man-ganese exposure and a deterioration in olfactory func-tion
[67].
Animal experimental studiesExperiments on pikes and rats showed
that following in-tranasal application of a dilute 54MnCl2
solution, manga-nese is absorbed by the olfactory epithelium
andtransported on into the brain. In the process,
manganeseaccumulates in the olfactory bulb and can be detectedafter
12 weeks throughout the brain and spinal cord[68–71]. Transport of
the manganese from the nasalcavities into the brain requires the
axonal projections ofthe olfactory epithelium’s receptor neurons to
be intact[72]. Foster et al. also evaluated the transport of
manga-nese from the olfactory epithelium to the olfactory bulb:a
bilateral instillation of 40 μl 200 mM MnCl2 in ratsleads to an
increase in manganese levels in both the ol-factory epithelium and
the olfactory bulb, and the ratsexposed to manganese exhibit
decreased performance inthe olfactory discrimination task.
Manganese accumula-tion in the olfactory bulb and in other regions
of thebrain was also demonstrated by MRT studies onnon-human
primates exposed to aerosolised MnSO4 (≥0.06 mg Mn/m3) [71].
ZincExposure to zinc in the form of fumes and dust fre-quently
occurs during the manufacture and processingof metals. With the
exception of one study published in1971 in Russian [73], we are not
aware of any studies ofa possible relationship between the
incidence of olfac-tory dysfunction and occupational zinc exposure.
Studiesdo exist of the frequent incidence of anosmia
followingmedical intranasal application of sprays or gels
contain-ing zinc, as do studies on animals demonstrating an
as-sociation between intranasal exposure to zinc salts andadverse
influence upon olfactory function [74–94].
Human studiesIn 1971, 301 workers at a zinc production plant
were ex-amined with regard to their olfactory and trigeminal
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function and compared with a control group comprising63 workers
at a machine factory [73]. The olfactory testswere performed by
means of an olfactometer employingmint and dilute acetic acid
(trigeminal stimulation). Incomparison with the sensory threshold
values of thecontrol group the sensory thresholds of the
exposedworkers were statistically significantly elevated. The
ele-vations were highest among the workers responsible forroasting
the zinc ore. High concentrations – accordingto the author several
times higher (without closer speci-fication) than the limits in
force at the time – of furtherstrongly corrosive and irritant
substances such as sulfurdioxide, sulfur anhydride, sulfuric acid,
chlorine, hydro-gen fluoride and others were however released in
allthree working areas (roasting, leaching, electrolysis) cov-ered
by the study, besides zinc oxide, zinc sulfate andmetal dusts.
Assessing the impact upon health to a par-ticular substance is
therefore difficult.The link postulated by Seeber and Fikentscher
between
the effects of olfactory impairment observed amongworkers in a
zinc chromate plant and exposure to chro-mium may perhaps equally
be associated with zinc. Thispossibility was not examined in these
studies [53, 54].The suspicion that zinc in the form of a
pharmaceut-
ical component was capable of triggering olfactory dys-function
dates back to the 1930s. The suitability of asolution containing 1%
zinc sulfate and 0.5% tetracaine(a topical anaesthetic) for use as
a nasal spray for pre-vention of poliomyelitis infection was
studied in Torontoin 1938 [28]. It was found not only that the
desired pro-tection was not achieved, but that some children
andadults also developed anosmia. According to reports bythe
British Medical Journal and the Journal of Pediatrics,of 5233
children (for the most part aged between 3 and10) treated in
special clinics by otolaryngologists, ap-proximately a quarter
exhibited temporary anosmia [74,75]. Unfortunately, the
documentation contains no de-scription of the diagnostic method,
quantitative detailsof temporary and permanent olfactory
dysfunction, orany indication whatsoever of systematic olfaction
testingin the control group [74, 75]. Information on the
controlgroup and the test method were relevant insofar as re-cent
studies indicate that olfaction is poorer in childrenthan in
adults: in the study by Sorokowska et al. of 1422test subjects
(aged between 4 and 80), children agedunder 10 and adults aged over
70 performed worst in anidentification test involving Sniffin’
Sticks with 16 differ-ent odours [95]. Tisdall et al. (1938) were
in possessionof data from a collective of an estimated 5000
furtherpatients (children and adults) treated with zinc sulfate
ofwhich 44 were permanently anosmic as a consequenceof the
treatment. However, in this collective the 44 pa-tients identified
as having permanent olfactory dysfunc-tion accounted for fewer than
1%, which is below the
estimated figure for olfactory dysfunction in the
widerpopulation [16, 96].Olfactory dysfunction occurring in
patients following in-
tranasal use of Zicam gel, claimed by the manufacturer tobe
“homeopathic” (according to Mossad, Zicam nasal gelcontains 33
mmol/l zinc gluconate [97]) for prophylacticor therapeutic purposes
against the symptoms of colds,was documented by Davidson and Smith,
Alexander andDavidson, and Jafek et al. [76–78].In 2009, the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
issued warnings to consumers against three intranasal“Zicam”
products containing zinc owing to the suspicionthat they “may cause
a loss of sense of smell”, possiblypermanent [98]. The products
concerned were thentaken off the market in 2009.The possible
olfactory effect of a nasal insulin spray
containing zinc as an additive was also the subject of re-cent
discussion [99, 100]. Indeed, it is unclear how muchof the zinc
spray actually reaches the olfactory cleft. Not-able in this
context are the results of experiments byHerranz Gonzalez-Botas and
Padin Seara, who examinedthe efficacy of the nasal gel form of
application andascertained that pigmented nasal gel is not
detectable inthe olfactory cleft following self-application by 16
testsubjects [101].
Animal experimental and in vitro studiesThe cytotoxic effect of
Zicam was also demonstrated invivo on mice and in vitro on human
nasal tissue. Follow-ing instillation of Zicam by injection in the
nasal cavities(15 μl per cavity), the olfactory epithelium was
especiallyaffected. The results of the behavioural test showed
thattreatment of the mice with Zicam led to olfactory dys-function
that still persisted two months after treatment.In the human nasal
tissue samples, necrosis of the epi-thelial and subepithelial
structures was observed follow-ing the application of Zicam
[80].Numerous further histological studies have been
performed that illustrate the degenerative effect ofzinc salts
upon the olfactory epithelium in mice andfish [81–86]. Several
studies in which ZnSO4 is usedfor experimental induction of anosmia
in laboratoryanimals demonstrate that direct treatment of
theolfactory mucous membrane with zinc sulfate solutionimpairs
olfaction in mice, rats, hamsters and pigeons[81, 84, 87–91].
McBride et al. (2003) provide anoverview of 22 behavioural studies
on mice in whicholfactory dysfunction was induced by means of
intra-nasal irrigation with ZnSO4 [81].Following intranasal zinc
gluconate instillation on mice
(33 mM, 50–100 μl per nostril), Duncan-Lewis et al.(2011) were
able to demonstrate, by means of a behav-ioural test, a significant
reduction in olfaction comparedto control mice treated only with
phosphate-buffered
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saline (PBS) [92]. Significantly weaker olfaction was
alsoexhibited by mice following treatment with copper gluco-nate.
Irrigation with magnesium gluconate yielded no dif-ferences. The
olfactory dysfunction was reversible, sinceno differences in
olfactory behaviour were observed in afurther behavioural test
performed one month aftertreatment.Electroolfactograms and
patch-clamp tests on isolated
rat olfactory epithelia showed that exposure to zincmetal
nanoparticles in the picomolar range had a signifi-cantly
reinforcing effect upon the reaction of the olfac-tory neurons
following olfactory induction, whereas Zn2+ ions in the same
concentration led to a reduced re-sponse to olfactory stimulation
[93].The toxic properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles in
the olfactory system of rats are presented by Gaoet al.:
once-off instillation of a suspension of zincoxide nanoparticles
led to significant damage of theolfactory epithelium and to
inflammation reactions[94]. In addition, the exposed rats exhibited
a changein sniffing behaviour and appeared no longer able
todistinguish between vanillin diluted with distilledwater and
distilled water alone. In an in-vitro assayon primary human
olfactory cells, Osmond-McLeodet al. demonstrated that zinc oxide
nanoparticles areable to induce cellular stress reactions,
inflammationreactions and apoptosis, but do not activate DNArepair
mechanisms [79]. They established that thecellular reactions to
zinc oxide nanoparticles with acoated surface were weaker.
“Pesticides”Human studiesAs already reported by Doty the
neurological functions ofworkers employed in structural fumigation
involving thepesticides of methyl bromide and sulfuryl fluoride
werecompared in 2015 in a cross-sectional study with those
ofcontrol persons [102]. Significantly weaker olfactory func-tion
tested with UPSIT was observed among the workerssubject to high
sulfuryl fluoride exposure. A correspond-ing observation was not
made for the workers with highexposure to methyl bromide. It should
be noted here thatwith the exception of 11 individuals, the
majority ofworkers were subject to coexposure with methyl
bromide.Clear distinction between the effects of methyl bromideand
those of sulfuryl fluoride is therefore difficult, notleast since
division of the workers by the criteria of “highexposure to
sulfuryl fluoride” and “high exposure to me-thyl bromide” is based
upon statements made by theworkers themselves in a questionnaire.
Methyl bromide ishighly toxic and harmful to the central nervous
system. Inanimal experiments it also causes damage to the
olfactoryepithelium. According to the authors, further
pesticides(including chlorpyrifos, organophosphates,
carbamates,
pyrethrins, organochlorine pesticides) with which the
testsubjects had come into contact during work or leisure re-vealed
no significant association with the results of the ol-factory test
and the memory test involving patterns.During work, the fumigators
were also exposed to “smallamounts” of chloropicrin, which was used
as an irritantwarning substance during fumigation with sulfuryl
fluor-ide and methyl bromide (no concentration stated).
Chlo-ropicrin is a highly irritant gas [103].In one recently
published study an impaired olfactory
function was demonstrated in Latino farmworkers ex-posed to
pesticides [104]. 304 farmworkers exposed topesticides were
compared with 247 non-farmworkers. Atsignificantly greater
self-reported lifetime pesticide ex-posure, the farmworkers
required significantly higherconcentrations for odour detection;
the odour identifica-tion did not differ between the groups
(Sniffin’ Sticks).Unfortunately, it is not specified which types of
pesti-cides the farmers worked with. In this context it is
inter-esting that an impaired olfactory function could be anearly
symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and that pes-ticides are also
suspected of inducing symptoms of Par-kinson’s. A strong
association between farmers with aPD diagnosis and a reduced sense
of smell is shown byShrestha et al. 2017 [105].
Animal experimental studiesWhereas methyl bromide can strongly
damage the ol-factory epithelium in animal tests [106], the
availableliterature provides no clear indication of the effect
ofsulfuryl fluoride upon olfaction. Inflammation of thenasal tissue
was reported after high exposure to sulfu-ryl fluoride (inhalation
of 300–600 ppm) in rats andrabbits [107, 108].
FormaldehydeOlfactory dysfunction in humans caused by
formalde-hyde was described relatively early. Spealman [109]
pro-vides an indirect indication in that he cites the
medicaldepartment of an airline that had rejected the use of
de-odorants containing formaldehyde in airliners on thegrounds that
formaldehyde was known to impair olfac-tion. Lehnhardt and Rollin
mention the strange case of acompany emergency response officer who
developed an-osmia allegedly owing to compulsive sniffing of a
thera-peutic agent that released formaldehyde [110].
Human studiesFour human studies involving formaldehyde and its
associ-ation with olfactory dysfunction were identified
[111–114].In an epidemiological cross-sectional study by
Holmström
et al. of workers at a factory producing formaldehyde
andformaldehyde-based products and workers exposed to
bothformaldehyde and wood dust, significantly reduced olfactory
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function was measured (sensory threshold test employingpyridine)
[111]. Hisamitsu et al. demonstrated a significantlydiminished
olfactory function in medical students who wereexposed to
formaldehyde vapours during an anatomy coursein Japan. It must be
emphasised that all affected individualsalready had a preexisting
history of allergic rhinitis. Olfactoryfunction was fully restored
after a year [112]. The publica-tions of Holmström et al. and
Hisanitsu et al. [111, 112] arementioned by Doty 2015 [4] and will
not be presented ingreater detail here.Kilburn et al. describe the
result of a survey involving
76 female histology technicians (average age 40.8) whowere
exposed to formaldehyde (0.2–1.9 ppm) and toother substances such
as xylene and toluene during theirwork with histological
preparations [113]. 22 of thesewomen were exposed to formaldehyde
for 1 to 3 h, 47for over 4 h. In a survey, 32% of the women in each
sub-group stated that their olfactory function was dimin-ished.
Among a control group of 56 non-exposedwomen (average age 39.5),
this was stated by only 5%.A study of 75 male workers (average age:
38) with oc-
cupational exposure either to formaldehyde alone (0.1–1.1 mg/m3
with exposure peaks of up to 5 mg/m3) or toformaldehyde and wood
dust (0.6–1.1 mg/m3) detectedpathological changes of the nasal
mucous membrane in72 individuals [114]. No differences in the
histologicalfindings were observed between the workers
exposedsolely to formaldehyde and those who had also been ex-posed
to wood dust.Based upon the results of long-term toxicological
inhal-
ation studies on laboratory animals, an NOAEL for nasaldamage of
1 ppm formaldehyde was determined in the lit-erature [115]. In
their cross-sectional study, Holmströmand Wilhelmsson observed a
significant worsening of thesensory threshold even at formaldehyde
concentrationsbelow 0.37 mg/m3 (= 0.3 ppm, and corresponding to
theGerman OEL) [111]. Irreversible damage to the sensorytissue need
not however be anticipated below the irrita-tion threshold, upon
which the OEL is based.
Animal experimental studiesInhaled formaldehyde (3.2 ppm) and
acrylic aldehyde(0.67 ppm) led to degeneration of the respiratory
epithe-lium in rats, inhaled acetaldehyde (750 ppm) to
degener-ation of the olfactory epithelium. It was demonstratedon
the same species of laboratory animal that the effectsof a combined
exposure to these aldehydes can increaseexponentially [116].10 rats
were exposed for 4 h per day for 7 days to
12.5 mg/m3 formaldehyde by Li et al. [117]. Examinationof the
olfactory bulbs and hippocampi of the exposedrats revealed severe
morphological damage compared toan untreated control group. Reduced
production of
glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid and nitrogen oxidesynthase
was also detected in this damaged tissue. Sincethe publication was
in Chinese, only the English abstractcould be evaluated
here.Diminished olfactory function was determined in rats
that had been subject for 30 min twice a day for 14 daysto
inhalative exposure to a formaldehyde concentrationof 13.5 ± 1.5
ppm [118].
AcrylatesHuman studiesGobba and Doty have already described the
study bySchwartz et al. in their reviews: hundreds of workerswere
studied in a cross-sectional analysis at a factoryproducing
acrylates and methacrylates [119]. Theworkers were divided into
four classes according to theirexposure. No association was
established in the first in-stance between exposure and the results
of olfactorytests (UPSIT, p = 0.09). By means of an
embeddedcase-control study, a dose-effect relationship was
ob-served between olfactory dysfunction and cumulative ex-posure;
the effect appeared to be reversible. The risk ofdeveloping
olfactory dysfunction was greatest in thegroup of non-smokers.Two
studies were, however, not mentioned by Gobba
or Doty:In a cross-sectional study of 175 workers exposed to
methyl methacrylate and a control group of 88non-exposed workers
employed in the same productionunit for acrylic glass sheet
casting, performance of theRhino Identification Test (6 tested
aromas, very similar indesign to the UPSIT test) revealed only a
single hyposmiccase in the exposed group [120]. At 58.3%, the
proportionof smokers was higher in the exposed group than in
thecontrol group (34.1%). Over an 8-h shift, exposure lay be-tween
25 and 100 ml/m3 in 1988 and between 10 and50 ml/m3 in the period
from 1989 to 1994. The averageexposure duration was 9.6 ±7.1 years.
With the exceptionof 2 workers who were additionally exposed
briefly to for-maldehyde up to 1990 and 4 workers who
additionallyhad contact with acrylonitrile, and a further 2
workerswho were additionally exposed to both formaldehyde
andacrylonitrile, all workers were exposed solely to
methylmethacrylate. These results permit the conclusion that
atexposures of up to 50 ml/m3 methyl methacrylate, olfac-tory
function is not harmed.In a more recent exposure study, 20 healthy
male vol-
unteers (non-smokers, aged 20–62) were exposed in anexposure
chamber once to 49.2 (±1.4) ppm methylmethacrylate for 4 h.
Following exposure, no changesoccurred in the olfactory threshold
for n-butanol, whichwas measured by means of Sniffin’ Sticks, nor
had themeasured mucociliary transit time (time from
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introduction of a saccharin particle in the lower nasalvestibule
to perception of a sweet taste in the throat)changed. Also
unchanged were the measured concentra-tions of protein and mRNA
markers of inflammation inthe nasal secretion and respiratory
epithelium. Further-more, only minor differences were observed in
the men-tal state, which was evaluated by questionnaire. Theauthors
concluded from this that acute exposure to50 ppm methyl
methacrylate causes no inflammatorychanges to the respiratory nasal
mucous membrane, andthat in view of the absence of a rise in the
olfactorythreshold following exposure to 50 ppm methyl
meth-acrylate, this dose is not sufficient to cause toxic damageto
the olfactory epithelium. These results of acute expos-ure cannot
be readily transferred to chronic conditions[121].
Animal experimental studiesChronic exposure to 100 ppm methyl
methacrylate cancause degeneration and atrophy of the olfactory
epithe-lium in rats. It must be considered that the activity ofthe
carboxylesterase in the olfactory epithelium of thenasal mucous
membrane is considerably higher in ratsthan in humans. The
unspecific carboxylesterase hy-drolyses methyl methacrylate to
methyl acrylic acid,which is responsible for the local toxicity
[122].
StyreneHuman studiesThree studies have already been listed by
Doty [4]:Cheng et al. [123] compared injection moulding
workers exposed to styrene with non-exposed workers.At the end
of a working day, a slight but significant re-duction in olfactory
function was detected in the olfac-tory threshold test employing
1-butanol, whereas theinitial situation at the beginning of the
shift had beenthe same. An identification test employing 7
odours(Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center(CCCRC)
olfactory test) revealed no differences beforeand after the shift.
According to Doty [4] these resultssupport the “concept that the
olfactory thresholds reflectadaptation rather than sustained
neurological damage”.Unfortunately, no exposure measurements were
performedin this study.Other epidemiological studies of workers in
the glass
fibre reinforced plastic industry revealed no
relationshipbetween styrene exposure and a general deterioration
inolfactory function [124, 125]. In both studies the olfac-tory
threshold for styrene was significantly higher amongthe exposed
workers. According to Dalton et al., this isalso explained by an
adaptation effect, which leads to areversible reduction in
sensitivity. This has already beenfrequently observed for volatile
substances in industry orthe laboratory and is correspondingly well
documented
[126]. Whereas the identification test revealed no differ-ences
between exposed and non-exposed individuals inthe study published
in 2003, the identification test pub-lished in 2007 resulted in a
significant difference be-tween the workers with high vs. low
exposure [125].Dalton et al. state that the proportion of
individualsshowing poor values in the identification test is
substan-tially higher in both groups (40 and 20%) than in thenormal
population (10%) [125]. Even with the aid ofmultiple regression
analysis, no association was demon-strated between the results of
the identification test andthe exposure values measured at present
or in the pastin the group of workers subject to high exposure.
Theauthors therefore suspect that the high proportion ofimmigrants
in the exposed group had influenced the re-sults of the test, and
they do not consider the results tobe valid evidence of impairment
of human olfactoryfunction by workplace exposure to styrene.
Animal experimental studiesIn two studies on rodents conducted
in 1997 and 1998,already cited by Doty 2015, styrene exposure of
between20 and 50 ppm led to lesions of the olfactory
epithelium[127, 128]. Green et al. assumed that the nasal
lesionsinduced in mice by exposure to styrene were caused bystyrene
oxide, which cannot be detected in the humannasal epithelium
[129].
Organic solvents and mineral oil productsHuman studiesThe
publications by Schwartz et al. [130], Sandmark etal. [131] and
Ahlstrom [132] are epidemiological studiesevaluating a possible
association between solvent expos-ure and impairment of olfaction.
They are also cited byGobba and Doty:With consideration for smoker
status, the UPSIT iden-
tification test performed by Schwartz et al. [130] yieldeda
significant dose-dependent deterioration in olfactoryfunction of
workers exposed to solvent in paint manu-facture with rising
lifetime exposure among workerswho had never smoked. This effect
was not observedamong workers who had always smoked. The
resultsremained the same when the confounders of age andcultural
background (vocabulary testing) were taken intoaccount. Schwartz et
al. suspect that the induction ofcytochrome P450 enzymes by
cigarette smoke leads toan increase in the metabolism and thereby
to detoxifica-tion of organic olfactotoxins before they reach the
olfac-tory epithelium. The exposed workers who had alwayssmoked
performed worse in the UPSIT olfactory testcompared to reference
values, albeit not with dose de-pendency. The best olfactory
function was exhibited bythe workers with the lowest exposure who
had neversmoked.
Werner and Nies Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology
(2018) 13:28 Page 18 of 26