Effects of Organic Solvents on Working Children's Health - Project

Duration
February 2009 - September 2010

Financing
AUB (American University of Beirut)

Budget
20,000 USD

Location
Bab El Tebbaneh (Tripoli Neighborhood)

Beneficiaries
200 working children aged 10 to 17

Description and objectives
The findings of the study will provide needed evidence to guide national and global policies on child labor and solvent neurotoxicity. Solvents are liquid chemicals (such as benzene and thinner) that are used in industries to dissolve other substances, such as grease, and may have toxic effects on human health.
The findings will also serve as a baseline for a later cohort study in which the selected 200 children (exposed and none 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.

Activities
First step
The research team recruited 200 working children (10-17 years old) working in the Bab El-Tabbaneh and neighborhood.

Following steps
The 200 children will be regularly tested for clinical symptoms indicating effects on neurological performance, such as concentration levels, memory, and dexterity. Each child pays a regular 5-hour visit to the Bab El-Tebbaneh Center for Working Children where the various tests are conducted by a multidisciplinary research team in Lebanon in collaboration with child psychologist, a clinical lab specialist, an occupational hygienist, a biostatistician, and a child development specialist. The tests include: General medical check-ups, blood tests, eye tests, etc.
The health effects are assessed and a specialized test battery measures neurobehavioral effects of solvent exposure.
Ten of the children working in mechanics shops are also been observed at work, measuring the exposure to solvents in the air, and taking urine samples to check how much solvent went into their bodies.

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. This study will be considered as the first real data and will serve as a reference to help improving the living conditions of Working Children in Lebanon through the assistance of social workers.

Other RMF projects related to Working Children in the same period:

Combating Child Labor through Remedial Education >>
Remedial, Awareness and Recreational Activities for Working Children (ARCI Milano) >>
Remedial, Awareness and Recreational Activities for Working Children (ARCI Toscana) >>