A team of researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (USA) has discovered that prolonged exposure to products such as glue, paint or solvents in general, can cause cognitive decline when they get older, many years after being exposed to them.
The team of researchers included 2,143 retirees from the French national public service company. All of them were evaluated regarding their exposure to chlorinated solvents and petroleum derivatives, as well as the time since the last exposure to these products. Data analysis established that 26% were exposed to benzene (used to make plastics or dyes), 33% to chlorinated solvents (degreasers) and 25% to petroleum derivatives (paint, varnish).
All the participants underwent eight tests of memory and thinking skills, a decade after retiring. The test results determined that 59% of the participants had cognitive impairment in between 1 and 3 of the eight tests and 23% in 4 or more tests.
Additionally, study participants were divided into groups based on their average lifetime exposure. The research clarified that people with recent high exposure to solvents were at higher risk of memory and thinking deficits.
The study, which has been published in the journal Neurology , warns of the real risk to cognitive health both in the present and in the future of these people.
