Health Update: Toxic paint job

GARAGE mechanics are at risk from the solvents used in paint resprays, even at exposures lower than the recommended 'safe' levels, a study from Seattle, Washington, has found.

Chemicals such as toluene, xylene and acetone can have neurotoxic effects and affect both mood and hand-eye co- ordination, researchers say in the British Journal of Industrial Medicine.

The effects of the chemicals were most noticeable among men over 35.