Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity of Toluene: A Review

Toluene is a widely used industrial solvent, and humans may also have high exposures to toluene from the deliberate inhalation ("9miffn") of paint reducer, paint thiner, or paint for their narctic effects.A number ofcase reports describe neonatal effects that have been attributed to ohiene abuse during p .These effects may include intratrn grwth retardation, premature delivery, congenital malformations, and postnatal developmental retardation.The possibility of exposures to other fetotoxic agents, either as inpurities or admixt in toluene-containing products, or by deliberate or accidental expouers to other chemcals or drugs, cannotbeexcluded in these cases.The fetotoxic effects oftoluene have been demonstrated in controlled studies in animals and are comparable to those observed in humans who have abused toluene-containing products before or during pregnancy.Intrauterine developmental retardation is the most clearly established effect in animals, as evidenced by decreased late fetal weight and rearded skeletal development.There is also limited evidence in rodents for skeletal and kidney abnormaltes, as weli as some evidence for effects on postnatal phycl and possibly neurobehavioral development.ted daily expsr from experimental studies in animals are compared to estimated human dailly intakes at the occupational permissible exposure level and at the level reported to produce euphoria in humans.Acceptable human intakes under California's Proposition 65 and under U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency procedures are discussed.