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Workplace Solvents Can Harm a Fetus

This is true even in workplaces where precautions are taken against exposure to the solvents that include toluene, which is used in nail polish remover, and xylene, which is found in paints and varnishes, the researchers said.

The women had jobs ranging from a hair stylist, to a graphic designer, to a carpenter, to a science teacher. All their work settings had safety measures designed to reduce exposure to the chemicals. The precautions included laminar flows -- hooded machines that suck the toxins from the air -- and face masks that filter the air during breathing. All the women reported using the protective devices when they worked, the University of Toronto researchers said.

"These were not women working in small sweatshops, but mostly in places under supervision," said study author Dr. Gideon Koren, director of the Motherisk Program at the University of Toronto.