Eric Hart has a great post about shop safety and why a “low odor” solvent may not always be your best choice.
…the smell is not related to the toxicity of that substance. In fact, particularly¬†odorous¬†substances can, in some situations, be safer than their low-odor counterparts. Relying on your sense of smell is a poor method of determining the quality of the air you are breathing and whether you should be wearing a respirator or working in a spray booth.
He goes on to describe how OSHA (US Occupational Safety and Health Administration) rates solvents and other chemicals for toxicity and describes the perils of waiting until symptoms manifest to tell you when you’ve had too much exposure.
A must read for anyone who works in the arts. Far too often we assume that because these products have been used for decades or even centuries that they must not be harmful.