Respiratory impairment in Brazilian foundry workers exposed to sand

Respiratory symptoms, lung function, and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide before and after assignment in a desert environment-a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Inhalation of small particulate matter (PM 2.5) may be associated with development of respiratory disease. Increased respiratory symptoms have been reported among military staff after service in countries with recurrent desert storms.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to investigate whether an assignment in a desert environment and exposure to desert storms are associated with negative effects on respiratory health.

METHODS

In two cohorts of Swedish soldiers serving in Mali as part of the United Nations stabilization forces, examination with spirometry, determination of fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), and a questionnaire including participant characteristics, symptoms, and exposure was performed before and after service. Ambient air sampling was conducted on-site. Paired t-test was used to compare pre- and post-variables on lung function data, FeNO and symptom level.

RESULTS

Most indoor and outdoor air measurements of dust and silica were within the Swedish occupational exposure limit for PM2.5 and silica (<0.10-2.7 mg/m³ and <0.002-0.40 mg/m³, respectively) as well as for respirable dust and silica (0.056-0.078 mg/m³and 0.0033-0.025 mg/m³, respectively). In the subgroup of participants with reported exposure to desert storms during the stay in Mali, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁) was significantly lower after exposure than before the mission (mean litres (SD) 4.21 ± 0.66 vs 4.33 ± 0.72, p = 0.021).

CONCLUSION

Exposure to a desert storm was associated with a decrease in FEV₁. Exposure to small particulate matter may contribute to the development of respiratory disease and thus spirometry should be performed after occupational exposure to desert storms.

Respiratory health and inflammatory markers - Exposure to respirable dust and quartz and chemical binders in Swedish iron foundries

Purpose

To study the relationship between respirable dust, quartz and chemical binders in Swedish iron foundries and respiratory symptoms, lung function (as forced expiratory volume FEV₁ and vital capacity FVC), fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and levels of club cell secretory protein 16 (CC16) and CRP.

Methods

Personal sampling of respirable dust and quartz was performed for 85 subjects in three Swedish iron foundries. Full shift sampling and examination were performed on the second or third day of a working week after a work free weekend, with additional sampling on the fourth or fifth day. Logistic, linear and mixed model analyses were performed including, gender, age, smoking, infections, sampling day, body mass index (BMI) and chemical binders as covariates.

Results

The adjusted average respirable quartz and dust concentrations were 0.038 and 0.66 mg/m³, respectively. Statistically significant increases in levels of CC16 were associated with exposure to chemical binders (p = 0.05; p = 0.01) in the regression analysis of quartz and respirable dust, respectively. Non-significant exposure-responses were identified for cumulative quartz and the symptoms asthma and breathlessness. For cumulative chemical years, non-significant exposure–response were observed for all but two symptoms. FENO also exhibited a non significant exposure-response for both quartz and respirable dust. No exposure-response was determined for FEV₁ or FVC, CRP and respirable dust and quartz.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that early markers of pulmonary effect, such as increased levels of CC16 and FENO, are more strongly associated with chemical binder exposure than respirable quartz and dust in foundry environments.

Urinary polyaromatic hydrocarbons are associated with adult emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, and infections: US NHANES, 2011-2012

Links between environmental chemicals and human health have emerged over the last few decades, but the effects from polyaromatic hydrocarbons were less studied, compared to other commonly known environmental chemicals such as heavy metals, phthalates, arsenic, phenols, pesticides, etc. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the relationships of urinary polyaromatic hydrocarbons and adult respiratory health conditions using a large human sample in a national and population-based setting in recent years. Data were retrieved from United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2011-2012 including demographics, self-reported health conditions, and urinary polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Statistical analyses including chi-square test, t test, and survey-weighted logistic regression modeling were performed. Of 5560 American adults aged 20-80, urinary 2-hydroxyfluorene and 3-hydroxyfluorene were positively associated with emphysema (OR, 1.60, 95 % CI 1.26 to 2.03, P = 0.001 and OR, 1.42, 95 % CI 1.15 to 1.77, P = 0.003, respectively) and chronic bronchitis (OR, 1.42, 95 % CI 1.04 to 1.94, P = 0.031 and OR, 1.40, 95 % CI 1.03 to 1.91, P = 0.036, respectively), while 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-naphthol) was likely to be borderline associated with emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Conversely, urinary 1-hydroxyphenanthrene, 3-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1-hydroxypyrene, and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene were inversely associated with asthma and infections. Urinary polyaromatic hydrocarbons are associated with adult respiratory health conditions, although the causality cannot be established. For future research, studies using large human sample across regions to longitudinally monitor would be suggested. For practice and policy-making, regulation on minimizing polyaromatic hydrocarbons exposure to protect respiratory health might need to be considered in future health and environmental policies and intervention programs.

[Silicosis among former copper mine workers]

There is a dearth of Brazilian studies analyzing the effect of ongoing exposure to silica among former copper mine workers, as radiographic readings for silicosis have received widespread medical attention. The scope of this study is to investigate the clinical and radiological manifestations of silicosis among former copper mine workers. A sample of 100 former copper miners had their clinical and occupational histories recorded and underwent chest radiography in a cross-sectional study that included personal interviews in which their age, sex and time worked in copper extraction were recorded. Patients with recent chest X-Rays brought them with them, or they signed a term of consent and X-Rays were taken and analyzed by the radiologist using the Student t Test and Pearson test. Among the 100 miners, 35% had silicosis, 11% had conditions other than silicosis, such as tuberculosis, emphysema, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, and 54% had no pulmonary lesions. The high incidence of silicosis reinforces the recommendation that exposure should be halted as soon as an X-ray detects the condition.