Table 2 Occupations of mothers exposed to organic solvents during the first trimester of pregnancy.
| Occupation | Exposures % (n total–n with medium or high level) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxygenated solvents | Chlorinated solvents | Petroleum solvents | ||||
| Aliphatic alcohols | Glycol ethers | Aldehydes esters, ketones (aliphatic) | At least one type* | |||
| (n = 136) | (n = 96) | (n = 130) | (n = 157) | (n = 20) | (n = 30) | |
| Physician, dentist, veterinarian, pharmacist | 10.3 (14–5) | 0 | 10.8 (14–0) | 8.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Nurse, nursing aids | 19.1 (26–22) | 4.2 (4–0) | 20.0 (26–0) | 16.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engineer, laboratory technician | 4.4 (6–3) | 5.2 (5–2) | 6.9 (9–0) | 7.0 | 10.0 (2–1) | 16.7 (5–0) |
| Teacher | 2.9 (4–1) | 5.2 (5–1) | 5.4 (7–0) | 5.1 | 0 | 3.3 (1–0) |
| Book editor | 0 | 0 | 0.8 (1–0) | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Office worker, secretary | 4.4 (6–4) | 2.1 (2–0) | 2.3 (3–0) | 4.5 | 10.0 (2–0) | 10.0 (3–1) |
| Cashier | 4.4 (6–0) | 6.3 (6–0) | 0.8 (1–0) | 3.8 | 5.0 (1–0) | 6.7 (2–0) |
| Sales worker | 10.3 (14–0) | 15.6 (15–1) | 6.9 (9–0) | 9.6 | 5.0 (1–0) | 13.3 (4–1) |
| Cleaning worker | 21.3 (29–9) | 29.2 (28–4) | 22.3 (29–0) | 18.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Childcare worker | 3.7 (5–0) | 5.2 (5–0) | 0 | 3.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Hairdresser, beautician | 5.9 (8–8) | 8.3 (8–5) | 6.2 (8–0) | 5.1 | 20.0 (4–4) | 13.3 (4–1) |
| Waiter, cook | 5.9 (8–0) | 8.3 (8–0) | 6.2 (8–0) | 5.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other service worker | 1.5 (2–1) | 2.1 (2–0) | 0.8 (1–0) | 1.3 | 0 | 3.3 (1–1) |
| Industrial worker | 2.2 (3–2) | 3.1 (3–0) | 5.4 (7–0) | 5.1 | 35.0 (7–3) | 20.0 (6–4) |
| Packaging worker | 3.7 (5–2) | 5.2 (5–1) | 3.1 (4–0) | 3.8 | 15.0 (3–2) | 13.3 (4–2) |
| Agricultural worker | 0 | 0 | 2,3 (3–0) | 1.9 | 0 | 0 |
*At least one type of oxygenated solvent.
n, number.
Note: 21.3% of women exposed to aliphatic alcohols were cleaning workers, which constituted a group of 29 women among which 9 women were exposed with a medium–high level.