Swedish researchers who compared the solvent exposure of167 men with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with 140 men of similar age and background how did not, found that 31 per cent of those with the cancer had been regularly exposed to solvents compared to 14 per cent who had not. The authors conclude that because solvent exposure at work “may be relevant to the development of other malignant diseases… our data support the opinion that occupational exposure to organic solvents should be minimised.”

H Olsson and L Brandt. Risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma among men occupationally exposed to organic solvents, Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health, volume 14, number 4, pages 246-251, 1988.