Occupational hazards of painters

Symptoms of painters' disease include nausea, dizziness, loss of concentration, insomnia, amnesia, depression and brain damage. A Danish ban on most toxic components in paints eliminated the syndrome within 15 years.

World Health Organization reports that children of painters are at increased risk of leukaemia and brain tumours; female painters suffer excess frequency of spontaneous pregnancy; spray painters are more prone to testicular cancer; painters have adverse effects on their nervous system. In general, painters have a 40% higher than national average chance of contracting lung cancer and incidence of all types of cancer is 20% above normal.