Neurobehavioral Changes among Workers in Some Chemical Industries in Egypt1

This study investigates the long-term neuropsychiatric manifestations of single or combined chemicals: manganese; zinc phosphide; lead, mercury, and TNT; and pesticides among exposed industrial workers. We found that 75% of the exposed subjects as a whole and 50% of those exposed to each of Zinc phosphide and pesticides presented with more than one neuropsychiatric symptoms or signs. The main signs were mask faces, hyporeflexia, hyperreflexia, peripheral neuropathy, static tremors, radiculopathy, muscle weakness, mental changes, fasciculations and tremors, wasting, hypotonia, abnormal deep reflexes, and sensory hyposthesia. Neurological manifestations were confirmed by electromyography and their severity was related to the duration of exposure and confirmed as well by electroencephalography. These results are discussed and their implications highlighted. © 1993 Academic Press, Inc.