Effect of Several Organic Solvents Inhalation on Systemic Blood Pressure

In order to investigate the effects of some organic solvents inhalation on systemic blood pressure, 1, 1, 1-trichloroethane (1, 1, 1-TCE), trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene and m-xylene were separately inhaled during a period of one to three minutes in anesthetized dogs under positive pressure ventilation. The results were as follows. 1) A fall in blood pressure was induced by each solvent inhalation. The threshold concentration of trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, m-xyleneand 1, 1, 1-TCE inhalation to produce the fall in blood pressure was about 0.1%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.45% and 0.4 t o0.5%, respectively. These results indicated that the fall in blood pressure was induced following each solvent inhalation, however, each threshold concentration to produce the fall in blood pressure was different. 2) Moreover, it was observed that blood pressure markedly fell with the increase in concentration which was more than threshold level of each solvent. 3) Degree of the fall in blood pressure following trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, m-xylene and 1, 1, 1-TCE inhalation in concentration of about 1.0%, respectively, was about 20 to 30 mmHg, 30mmHg, 10 to 15mmHg, 10 to 12mmHg, 10 to 20mmHg, respectively. 4) The mentioned results suggested that shock due to high concentration inhalation of organic solvents may be related to a cause of acute death in industrial fields.