Occupational exposure and respiratory health of workers at small scale industries

Quality of spirometry tests in the field of occupational health

BACKGROUND

The spirometry test is a valuable test to evaluate the performance of the respiratory system. The interpretation of the results is highly dependent on the quality of its performance, while the inappropriate quality results in unwanted consequences for individuals and the healthcare system. This study investigated the quality of spirometry tests performed in occupational health.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, the quality of 776 spirometry tests in different occupational centers by the specialists in Rasht, Iran, in 2020, based on the guidelines of the American Thoracic Society (ATS), was investigated. The quality and success rate of the test and the demographical characteristics of the operators and the participants were collected. All data was analyzed using SPSS software version 20.

RESULTS

Out of 776 spirometry tests, about 69.7% were unacceptable. Among the unacceptable tests, a pause error between inhalation and exhalation was identified in 7.4% of tests. Additionally, 4.6% of the unacceptable tests exhibited a cough error within the first second, while an exhalation error of less than six was observed in 85%. Repeatability errors were found in 60.9% of the tests. Furthermore, among some errors, the communication error between the characteristics of the technicians and the test performance errors were evident.

CONCLUSION

According to the results, most of the performed tests were unacceptable with no repeatability, which indicated that the validity and quality of spirometry tests and their interpretation were inappropriate in the field of occupational health in Rasht, Iran.

Investigating the Effect of Welding Fume in Pulmonary Function of Welders in an Automobile Industry

Context

Respiratory exposure to welding fumes directly or indirectly, in the long run, can lead to systematic effects among welders.

Aims

This study aimed to investigate respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function parameters among welders working in the automotive industry.

Material and Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed among 2304 workers from two groups in the manufacturing and administrative staff (as exposure and control groups). Pulmonary function parameters and respiratory symptoms were collected through periodic spirometry examinations and a standard respiratory symptoms questionnaire. Exposure to welding fumes was obtained from the annual measurement data based on the NIOSH7300 method. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22 and linear and multiple regression statistical tests.

Results

The mean age of the subjects in the case and control groups were 37.5 and 38.5 years, respectively. All the apparent symptoms of respiratory diseases (cough, sputum) in the welder's group were more than in the control group. Also, there was a significant difference between the respiratory symptoms in the two groups (P < 0.001). The mean value of all spirometric parameters (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75, PEF) in the case group (welders) was significantly lower than the control group.

Conclusion

The results of this study revealed that the variables of age and work experience effectively reduce all spirometric parameters of welders. Also, regarding the effect of metal vapors, a significant relationship has been seen between Cu in welding fume and FEF25-75 and FEV1 spirometric parameters.

Modeling the economic viability and performance of solar home systems: a roadmap towards clean energy for environmental sustainability

Energy is a necessary source of economic development and social prosperity, linked with primary production and consumption activities worldwide. In this regard, solar home systems (SHSs) are beneficial in two ways, i.e., saving vitality overheads and meeting the energy demand of small enterprises. The current study aims to evaluate the performance of adopting SHS to develop the small-scale industry in Pakistan. An inclusive questionnaire survey was conducted, and respondents were selected using the purposive sampling method. As a step further, we scrutinize the moderating role of awareness and understanding of technology between the node of adopting SHS and the monetary enactment of small-scale industry. We authenticate the model using a sample of 357 respondents by applying the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. The results indicate that low-cost energy through SHSs has a progressive and substantial linkage with the demonstration of small-scale industry and enhances the quality of energy supply in Pakistan. Similarly, awareness and understanding of SHS significantly moderate the relationships between enhanced energy supply through SHS, the quality of SHS, and the performance of the small-scale industry. These findings provide a valuable guideline to the regulation developing authorities that more attention is needed to focus on SHS to further improve the performance of small-scale industry.

Effects of occupational exposures on respiratory health in steel factory workers

Background

The steel factory work environment contains various chemical exposures that can affect indoor air quality and have impact on respiratory health of the workers.

Aims

The objective of this study was to assess potential effects of occupational exposures in steel factory workers in Iran on the respiratory symptoms, occurrence and the lung function levels.

Method

This was a cross-sectional study of 133 men working in a steel factory forming the exposed group and 133 male office workers forming the reference group from a steel company in Iran. The participants filled in a questionnaire and underwent spirometry. Work history was used both as dichotomous (exposed/reference) and a quantitative measure of exposure, the latter measured as duration of exposure in the specified work (in years) for the exposed group and zero for the reference group.

Results

Multiple linear regression and Poisson regression were used to adjust for confounding. In Poisson regression analyses, an increased prevalence ratio (PR) of all respiratory symptoms was observed in the exposed group. Lung function parameters were significantly reduced in the exposed group (p < 0.001). There was a dose-response relation between duration of occupational exposures and reduction in the predicted value of FEV1/FVC level (0.177, 95% CI -0.198 to -0.156) in all models.

Conclusion

The results of these analyses showed that occupational exposures in steel factory work increase the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and reduce lung function. Safety training and workplace conditions were found to need improvement. In addition, use of proper personal protective equipment is recommended.

Assessment of inflammatory cytokines in exhaled breath condensate and exposure to mixtures of organic pollutants in brick workers

Brick production causes a lot of pollution in the form of dust, fumes, and toxic substances. Therefore, brick workers are highly exposed to pollutants and present a high risk of developing respiratory diseases. The objective of this research was to determine the exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and toluene in urine and evaluate the effects on health using markers of oxidative stress in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) as well as the exposure to pollutants in suspended particles of the studied area. Exposure to PAHs and toluene was evaluated using hydroxylated markers (OH) of PAHs and hippuric acid in urine, respectively. Cytokines like TNF-α, INF-y, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 y GMCSF in EBC were also evaluated. PM_2.5 particles were measured during an 8-h work shift. The results in brick workers presented a total OH-PAHs concentration of 97.3 µg/L and hippuric acid concentration of 0.2 g/L. The environmental concentrations of suspended particles were found within a range of 41.67-3541.6 μg/m³. The median of cytokines oscillated between 11.8 pg/mL to 1041 pg/mL. In conclusion, these results are similar to those of occupations in which there is high exposure to pollutants and populations with lung diseases. For that reason, the brick production sector requires prevention and control strategies against the pollutants emitted.

Embedded Electronic Sensor for Monitoring of Breathing Activity, Fitting and Filter Clogging in Reusable Industrial Respirators

Millions of workers are required to wear reusable respirators in several industries worldwide. Reusable respirators include filters that protect workers against harmful dust, smoke, gases, and vapors. These hazards may cause cancer, lung impairment, and diseases. Respiratory protection is prone to failure or misuse, such as wearing respirators with filters out of service life and employees wearing respirators loosely. Currently, there are no commercial systems capable of reliably alerting of misuse of respiratory protective equipment during the workday shifts or provide early information about dangerous clogging levels of filters. This paper proposes a low energy and non-obtrusive functional building block with embedded electronics that enable breathing monitoring inside an industrial reusable respirator. The embedded electronic device collects multidimensional data from an integrated pressure, temperature, and relative humidity sensor inside a reusable industrial respirator in real time and sends it wirelessly to an external platform for further processing. Here, the calculation of instantaneous breathing rate and estimation of the filter's respirator fitting and clogging level is performed. The device was tested with ten healthy subjects in laboratory trials. The subjects were asked to wear industrial reusable respirator with the embedded electronic device attached inside. The signals measured with the system were compared with airflow signals measured with calibrated transducers for validation purposes. The correlation between the estimated breathing rates using pressure, temperature, and relative humidity with the reference signal (airflow) is 0.987, 0.988 and 0.989 respectively, showing that instantaneous breathing rate can be calculated accurately using the information from the embedded device. Moreover, respirator fitting (well-fitted or loose condition) and filter's clogging levels (≤60%, 80% and 100% clogging) also can be estimated using features extracted from absolute pressure measurements combined to statistical analysis ANOVA models. These experimental outputs represent promising results for further development of data-driven prediction models using machine learning techniques to determine filters end-of-service life. Furthermore, the proposed system would collect relevant data for real-time monitoring of workers' breathing conditions and respirator usage, helping to improve occupational safety and health in the workplace.

Targeted medical examinations for workers exposed to fumigants

Fumigants are gaseous pesticides or biocides which eradicate pests by suffocation or poisoning. Worker exposure to fumigants is mainly via inhalation, followed by dermal contact and ingestion, leading to various acute and chronic health effects. Implementation of appropriate workplace controls such as adequate ventilation, training and personal protective equipment ensure that exposure to fumigants are kept to the lowest level as practically possible. In addition, routine medical examinations also allow for doctors to identify and manage possible exposure to fumigants and ascertain workers’ fitness to work.

While management guidelines after an acute exposure to such fumigants is clear and consistent, the guidelines on routine medical examination for fumigators is sparse. Components of the medical examinations vary according to the fumigant, workers are exposed to and its chronic health effects. Hence, this paper highlights the health hazards of commonly utilised fumigants; Methyl Bromide, Hydrogen Cyanide, Hydrogen Phosphide and Sulfuryl Fluoride; and outlines the guidance for routine medical examinations for exposed fumigators.

Risk for lung-related diseases associated with welding fumes in an occupational population: Evidence from a Cox model

Background

Welding fumes are a risk factor for welder pneumoconiosis. However, there is a lack of population information on the occurrence of welding fume-induced lung cancer, and little is known about the welding fume pathogenesis.

Methods

Welding fume and metal ion concentrations were assessed in a vehicle factory in Wuhan. A Cox regression model estimated lung-related disease risk in workers by independent and combined factors.

Results

Workers' exposures were divided into four grades; the highest exposure was among the welders in the maintenance workshop, the highest Mn and Fe exposure was 4 grades, and the highest Cr exposure was 3 grades. Subgroup analysis found that the risk of lung-related disease was 2.17 (95% CI: 1.31-3.57, p < 0.05) in welders compared with non-welders, and the risk of pulmonary disease in male welders was 2.24 (95% CI: 1.34-3.73, p < 0.05) compared to non-welders. Smoking welders had a 2.44 (95% CI: 1.32-4.51, p < 0.01) higher incidence of lung-related diseases than non-welders. Total years of work as an independent protective factor for lung-related disease risk was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.66-0.78, p < 0.01). As an independent risk factor, high-high and high-low exposure had a 5.39 (95% CI: 2.52-11.52, p < 0.001) and 2.17 (95% CI: 1.07-4.41, p < 0.05) higher risk for lung-related diseases, respectively.

Conclusions

High welding fume exposure is a significant risk factor for lung-related disease in workers.

Speech Impaired by Half Masks Used for the Respiratory Tract Protection

Filtering half masks belong to the group of personal protective equipment in the work environment. They protect the respiratory tract but may hinder breath and suppress speech. The present work is focused on the attenuation of sound by the half masks known as “filtering facepieces”, FFPs, of various construction and filtration efficiency. Rather than study the perception of speech by humans, we used a generator of white noise and artificial speech to obtain objective characteristics of the attenuation. The generator speaker was either covered by an FFP or remained uncovered while a class 1 meter measured sound pressure levels in 1/3 octave bands with center frequencies 100–20 kHz at distances from 1 to 5 m from the speaker. All five FFPs suppressed acoustic waves from the octave bands with center frequencies of 1 kHz and higher, i.e., in the frequency range responsible for 80% of the perceived speech intelligibility, particularly in the 2 kHz-octave band. FFPs of higher filtration efficiency stronger attenuated the sound. Moreover, the FFPs changed the voice timbre because the attenuation depended on the wave frequency. The two combined factors can impede speech intelligibility.

Genotoxicity biomarkers in car repair workers from Barranquilla, a Colombian Caribbean City

Exposure to chemicals and particles generated in automotive repair shops is a common and underestimated problem. The objective of this study was to assess the genotoxic status of auto repair workers with (1) a questionnaire to gather sociodemographic information and self-reported exposure to hazardous chemicals and (2) measurement of various biochemical parameters. Blood and oral mucosa samples were collected from 174 male volunteers from Barranquilla, Colombia, aged 18-55 years: 87 were active car repairmen and 87 were individuals with no known exposure to hazardous chemicals. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were collected for the comet and cytokinesis-blocking micronucleus (CBMN) assays, while oral mucosal epithelium extracted to quantify micronucleated cells (MNC). DNA was extracted to assess polymorphisms in the DNA repair (XRCC1) and metabolism-related genes (GSTT1 and GSTM1) using PCR-RFLP. DNA damage and frequency of micronuclei (MN) in lymphocytes and oral mucosa were significantly higher in exposed compared to control group. In both groups genotypes and allelic variants for XRCC1 and GSTT1 met the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). In contrast, GSTM1 deviated from HWE. In the exposed group genotypic variants were not correlated with DNA damage or MN presence in cells. DNA damage and occurrence of MN in mucosa and lymphocytes correlated with age and time of service (occupational exposure ≥ 3 years). In summary, workers in car repair shops exhibited genotoxic effects depending upon exposure duration in the workplace which occurred independent of DNA repair XRCC1 gene and metabolism genes GSTT1 and GSTM1. Date demonstrate that health authorities improve air quality in auto repair facilities to avoid occupational DNA damage.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Adults Exposed to Fine Particles from a Coal Mine Fire

RATIONALE

In 2014 the Hazelwood open cut coal mine in south eastern Australia burned for six weeks, exposing nearby residents to high concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5). The long-term health consequences are unknown, and are being evaluated as part of the Hazelwood Health Study.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the association between PM_2.5 exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS

A sample of 346 exposed, and 173 unexposed, adults participated in the longitudinal Respiratory Stream of the Hazelwood Health Study. Participants underwent spirometry and gas transfer measurements, and answered validated respiratory questionnaires 3.5-4 years after the fire. Individual-level mine fire-related PM_2.5 exposure was modelled. Multivariate linear regression and logistic models were fitted to analyse associations between mean and peak PM_2.5 exposure and clinical outcomes, stratified by smoking status.

RESULTS

A 10 μg/m³ increase in mean PM_2.5 exposure was associated with a 69% (95%CI: 11% to 158%) increase in odds of spirometry consistent with COPD amongst non-smokers and increased odds of chest tightness (odds ratio; OR 1.30, 95%CI 1.03 to 1.64) and chronic cough (OR 1.24, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.51) in the previous 12 months in all participants. For current smokers, increments in mean PM_2.5 exposure were associated with higher odds of chronic cough in the preceding 12 months (OR 2.13, 95%CI 1.24 to 3.65).

CONCLUSIONS

Almost four years after a six-week period of coal fire PM_2.5 exposure, we identified a dose-response association between exposure and COPD in non-smokers. With climate change a likely contributor to increased risk of landscape fires, the findings will inform policy decisions during future sustained smoke events.