Professor Nuwayhid Receives $200,000 NIH Grant

Professor Iman Nuwayhid

Professor Iman Nuwayhid of the Department of Environmental Health recently received a $200,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct a two-year pioneering study on the exposure and neurotoxic effects of organic solvents in working adolescents in Lebanon.

There are at least 50,000 working children in Lebanon, according to available estimates.

Nuwayhid reported that no study in the world has ever been conducted on the effect of solvents in the workplace on working children, even though studies have been made on adults. Solvents are liquid chemicals that are used in industry to dissolve other substances, such as grease, and may have toxic effects on human health.

Conducted in collaboration with the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), the study is being sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the United States.

"The findings of the study will provide needed evidence to guide national and global policies on child labor and solvent neurotoxicity," said Nuwayhid. "It will also serve as a baseline for a later cohort study in which the 200 children (exposed and not exposed) will be re-evaluated to detect the long-term toxic effects of solvents on the nervous system." The project was set up in such a way as to allow scientists to conduct follow-up studies in the years to come and compare data.

The project is being undertaken with the close collaboration of the Rene Moawad Foundation, which has projects aimed at eradicating illiteracy among working children. Scientists hope this collaboration with a local NGO will result in a practical outcome to the research. "We hope it will ultimately help social workers improve working conditions for children," said Nuwayhid.

The research team will recruit 100 working children (10-17 years old) who have been exposed to organic solvents (from mechanics shops) and another 100 working children (also 10-17 years) working in shops where there is no exposure to solvents, all living in the Bab El-Tabbaneh neighborhood of Tripoli. The 200 children will be tested for clinical symptoms indicating effects on neurological performance, such as concentration levels, short-term memory, and dexterity.

The health effects will be assessed and a specialized test battery will measure neurobehavioral effects of solvent exposure. Blood lead levels will be measured as well. Ten of the children working in mechanics shops will be observed at work, measuring the exposure to solvents in the air, and taking urine samples to check how much solvent went into their bodies.