PRINCIPLES OF TOXICOLOGY

• Although much of the damage which may occur in the nervous system is irreversible, some
protective adaptations and redundancy of function exist, which sometimes makes predicting
the effects of neurotoxicant exposure less than straightforward.
The chemicals cited in the sections above serve only as examples and are by no means a comprehensive
list of neurotoxic hazards in the workplace. In addition, their symptoms of exposure are often varied
and may be attributed to several mechanisms of action, which makes categorizing them by effect
somewhat difficult. Recommended exposure limits for chemicals commonly encountered in an
occupational setting are published by various agencies in the United States, such as the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). In addition,
several other countries have organizations with similar purposes. The publications of these groups
should be consulted for specific recommended exposure levels of neurotoxic chemicals. Table 7.1
presents a few of the more common industrial neurotoxicants, along with some general symptoms of
exposure and their primary sites of action.
It should be clear to the reader by now that, as the result of multiple and overlapping effects of
many neurotoxic chemicals, any listing of effects must necessarily be a simplified representation. Also,
the science of neurotoxicity is continually evolving, so that revisions of such lists are to be expected
as new information is obtained. Nonetheless, considerable progress has been made in recent years
toward developing reliable methods of neurotoxicity evaluation and minimizing exposure to potential
neurotoxicants.
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING 155
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