Neuropsychological and neurological functions were investigated in 228 paint-manufacturing workers in two South African factories who were exposed to organic solvents. Exposure was expressed as both 1990 TLV equivalents (ACGIH) and as total hydrocarbon parts per million. The WHO neurobehavioral core test battery, the Neurobehavioral Evaluation System-2, and the UNISA Neuropsychological Assessment Procedure were used to measure outcomes, while a Vibratron II was used to measure peripheral vibration sensation. Exposures were generally below the TLV and no exposure effect was found. Only age predicted Vibratron scores. Neuropsychological tests were sensitive to educational level, age, alcohol consumption and cultural indicators. WHO tests showed good construct validity for neuropsychological functions and should be more formally validated for use in developing countries. Nevertheless, cultural dependence is evident for all neuropsychological tests, and methods for bypassing this problem in less developed settings are discussed.

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