A mixture of VOCs will be used. Another study of toluene susceptibility has examined gender differences in pharmacokinetics. This may be due to differences in metabolism, body weight, adipose fraction, adipose distribution, or cardiac output. Therese Mar, PhD candidate, conducted controlled exposure to 100 ppm toluene in 10 male and 10 female subjects. An analysis of the effects of gender effects in this toluene study revealed no difference in their toluene toxicokinetics.
Further analyses are ongoing in the development of a model of toluene metabolism in human subjects.
Results of the above studies, taken together, are beginning to construct a profile of individual reactions and susceptibilities to inhaled air pollutants. These data will be invaluable in guiding clinical assessments of the risk of air pollution as well as providing data for risk assessments in the regulatory arena.