Methodology and results about the effects of the occupational exposure to mercury and to organic solvents

• Grant number: 11/23932-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: August 20, 2012
• End date: September 07, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Dora Selma Fix Ventura
• Grantee: Dora Selma Fix Ventura
• Visiting researcher: Fabriziomaria Gobba
• Visiting researcher institution: Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena (UNIMORE), Italy
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psicologia (IP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 08/58731-2 - Vision as a sensitive indicator of conditions threatening retinal and central nervous system function, AP.TEM

Abstract

Fabriziomaria Gobba is a Professor in the Department of Public Health, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy and coordinator of the postgraduate course in occupational medicine at the same university. Professor Gobba has extensive experience in the field of occupational diseases and color vision impairment. His group is dedicated to studying the effects of industrial exposure to different types of metals in the sensory perception of workers chronically exposed. His area of research coincides with one which prompted the collaboration between our scientific Vision Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo (USP) and the Laboratory Eduardo Osvaldo Cruz of Neurophysiology at the Center of Tropical Medicine, Federal University of Pará (UFPA). Both groups are dedicated jointly to the study of workers exposed to mercury and organic solvents results show that such exposures cause visual and neuropsychological impairments, it is not known for sure how much these losses are reversible or not. Moreover, even workers exposed to mercury vapor within levels considered safe, have visual changes. Considering the interest of our group in visual and neuropsychological assessment of workers exposed to mercury and to organic solvents in Brazil and the extensive experience of Professor Gobba in sensory evaluation of workers exposed to metals in Italy, his visit would contribute to various discussions on the characteristics toxicological research. (AU)