New publications
Education protects the intellect from external influences
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Exposure to solvents at work may be associated with poorer cognitive abilities later in life, particularly for those with less than a high school education.
But the intelligence of more educated people does not suffer, even if they are exposed to the same amount of solvents, say scientists from Harvard University (USA).
The study involved 4,134 employees of a French national gas and energy company; most of the subjects had been with the company their entire lives. The researchers assessed their exposure to four types of solvents: chlorinated, petroleum, and benzene and non-benzene. The respondents took the thinking tests at about age 59, when 91% of them had retired.
Fifty-eight percent of the subjects had less than a high school education. Of these, 32% had cognitive impairment (problems with thinking), compared to 16% of subjects with more education. Among the less educated, cognitive impairment was 14% more likely to affect those who had almost constant contact with chlorinated and petroleum solvents. Working with benzene and non-benzene aromatic solvents increased the risk of cognitive problems by 24% and 36%, respectively.
According to the authors of the study, all this confirms that improving the quality of education in youth can protect cognitive abilities in later life.
[