Effects of m‐Xylene on Human Equilibrium Measured with a Quantitative Method

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Abstract
Swaying during normal upright posture in 17 young males and the effects of m-xylene exposure on the body sway of 6 of the 17 was studied by a quantitative Romberg test, conducted with equipment consisting of a strain gauge transducer platform and an electronic unit. The exposures were conducted in a dynamic exposure chamber. The sway of the 17 subjects was larger when their eyes were closed than when they were open (P < 0.001) indicating the importance of vision in the control of body balance. Exposure to a time-weighted average (TWA) concentration of 100 ppm (4.1 .mu.mol/l) of xylene with 200 ppm (8.2 .mu.mol/l) peaks had no observable effect on the body balance of the 6 subjects. Exposure to a TWA concentration of 200 ppm of xylene with 400 ppm (16.4 .mu.mol/l) peaks [the corresponding mean concentration of xylene in venous blood being 29.1 .+-. 3.2 .mu.mol/l] clearly impaired the body balance of the 6 subjects. The impairment was most pronounced with the eyes closed (P = 0.016). Human equilibrium is rather sensitive to effects of exposure to xylene.

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