bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asbestos exposure among finnish lung cancer patients: Occupational history and fiber concentration in lung tissue
Authors: Karjalainen A. , Anttila S. , Heikkilä L. , Karhunen P. , Vainio H.
Published: April 2007

In a series of 65 surgically treated lung cancer patients, past exposure to asbestos was evaluated by personal interviews, and by scanning electron microscopy analyses of the mineral fibers in lung tissue. Lung tissue samples of 17 autopsied male office workers were analyzed as referents. According to occupational history, 37% of the lung cancer patients had definite or probable, 31% possible, and 32% unlikely exposure to asbestos. The fiber concentration in the lung tissue ranged from <0.1 to 65 million fibers per gram dry tissue in the lung cancer group, and from <0.1 to 0.8 million fibers per gram dry tissue in the reference group. In 26% of the lung cancer patients, but in none of the referents, the fiber concentration exceeded 1 million fibers per gram dry tissue. Most of the exposed patients had been employed in various construction jobs, and valuable information about the exposure levels could be obtained by the mineral fiber analyses. In general, there was a good accord between the exposure categorization and the fiber burden measured in the lung. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The utility of health education among lead workers: The experience of one program
Authors: Porru Stefano , Donato Francesco , Apostoli Pietro , Coniglio Luciano , Duca Piergiorgio , Alessio Lorenzo
Published: April 2007

Health education represents a fundamental tool in the prevention of occupational diseases. For lead‐exposed workers, work practices, personal hygiene, and life habits are certainly influences in the amount of the metal absorbed in the body. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a health education program in 50 workers exposed to inorganic lead employed in seven small factories. The study was performed in 3 phases over one year. Before the program, blood lead levels were measured, and a questionnaire was administered in order to evaluate the baseline knowledge of the workers about lead poisoning and its prevention. After the health education program, the blood lead levels decreased (from 38.2 to 32.3 μg/dl) and the questionnaire scores improved in a highly significant manner (p < 0.001). These results were obtained both in the short (4 months) and in the medium term (1 year). The reduction of blood lead concentrations seemed to be due to changes in hygienic behaviors and life habits, such as alcohol consumption or cigarette smoking, probably induced by an increase in specific knowledge about the prevention of lead damages. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Investigation of an outbreak of “Humidifier fever” in a print shop
Authors: Mamolen Margaret , Lewis Daniel M. , Blanchet Michael A. , Satink Frederick J. , Vogt Richard L.
Published: April 2007

An outbreak of “humidifier fever” affected 16 (57%) of 28 workers in a print shop. The most common symptoms were myalgia, chills or subjective fever, and cough. Illness began 5–13 hours after entering the workplace, and lasted 2–24 hours. A humidifier in use the day of the outbreak was found to be contaminated with fungi, amebae, and Gram‐negative bacteria. The risk of illness was highest for those who had been on the job 3 months before the outbreak, a time when the humidifier was in constant use. Serologic studies of print shop workers showed positive reactions to extracts of organisms isolated from the humidifier, but could neither distinguish ill from well workers, nor identify causative organisms. The presence of endotoxin‐producing bacteria and the clinical syndrome are consistent with an organic dust toxic syndrome. Previous exposure appeared to be the major risk factor for illness. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pregnant women at work: Sociodemographic perspectives
Authors: Moss Nancy , Carver Karen
Published: April 2007

The 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey, a stratified random sample of 9,953 live births, shows that women who work during pregnancy are more likely to be non‐Hispanic white, married, of higher income and education, to have medical insurance, and of lower parity than nonemployed pregnant women (p < .0001). They begin prenatal care earlier, are less likely to smoke, and are more likely to state that the birth was wanted (p < .0001). Similar trends are seen for full‐time as compared to part‐time workers. Women employed as precision production workers, operators/fabricators, or in service occupations are disadvantaged with regard to sociodemographic and behavioral risks for pregnancy outcomes relative to women in professional and managerial occupations. Black race, parity, body mass index, and smoking, but not employment, are associated with low birth weight when gestational age is controlled. The effects of stress and its buffers, paternal characteristics, physical activity, and toxic exposures, both in and out of the workplace, should be considered, as should the normative and social policy context. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Asbestos fiber type in malignant Mesothelioma: An analytical scanning electron microscopic study of 94 cases
Authors: Roggli Victor L. , Pratt Philip C. , Brody Arnold R.
Published: April 2007

Although the association between asbestos exposure and malignant mesothelioma is indisputable, controversy continues regarding the relative contribution of the various types of asbestos fibers to the development of mesothelioma. We examined the types of asbestos fibers recovered from lung parenchyma in more than 90 cases of malignant mesothelioma from the United States, using an analytical scanning electron microscope. Almost half of the patients were former asbestos insulators or shipyard workers. The fibers were recovered from lung tissues obtained at autopsy or surgical resection by means of a sodium hypochlorite digestion procedure. Amosite absestos was identified in 81% of the cases and accounted for 58% of all fibers 5 μm or greater in length. Tremolite/actinolite/anthophyllite were identified in 55% of the cases and accounted for 10% of all fiber types. Chrysotile was identified in 21% of the cases and accounted for 3% of fibers exceeding 5 μm in length. Crocidolite was found in 16% of the cases and accounted for 3% of fibers exceeding 5 μm in length. Nonasbestos mineral fibers (commonly found in the lungs of the general population) were observed in 71% of the cases and accounted for 25% of all fibers 5 μm or greater in length. The findings in this study are at odds with the assertion that crocidolite asbestos is responsible for most mesotheliomas in the United States. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cancer and other causes of death among male and female farmers from twenty‐three states
Authors: Blair Aaron , Dosemeci Mustafa , Heineman Ellen F.
Published: April 2007

Occupation and industry codes on death certificates from 23 states for 1984–1988 were used to evaluate mortality risks among white and nonwhite, male and female farmers. Proportionate mortality and proportionate cancer mortality ratios were calculated using deaths among nonfarmers from the same states to generate expected numbers. Among farmers there were 119,648 deaths among white men, 2,400 among white women, 11,446 among nonwhite men, and 2,066 among nonwhite women. Deficits occurred in all race‐sex groups for infective and parasitic diseases, all cancer combined, lung cancer, liver cancer, diseases of the nervous system, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, and emphysema. As reported in other studies, white male farmers had excesses of cancer of the lymphatic and hematopoietic system, lip, eye, brain, and prostate. Excesses of cancers of the pancreas, kidney, bone, and thyroid were new findings. Regional patterns were evident, particularly among white men. Significant excesses for accidents, vascular lesions of the central nervous system (CNS), and cancers of the prostate tended to occur in most geographic regions, while excesses for mechanical suffocation, non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, and cancers of the lip, brain, and the lymphatic and hematopoietic system were limited to the Central states. Increases among nonwhite men were similar to those in white men for some causes of death (vascular lesions of the CNS and cancers of the pancreas and prostate), but were absent for others (lymphatic and hematopoietic system, lip, eye, kidney, and brain). Women (white and nonwhite) had excesses for vascular lesions of the CNS, disease of the genitourinary system (white women only), and cancers of the stomach and cervix (nonwhite women only). Cancer of the buccal cavity and pharynx was slightly elevated among women, and white women had nonsignificant excesses of multiple myeloma and leukemia. Excesses for leukemia and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma occurred among white men and women, but not among nonwhites. Excesses for several types of accidental deaths were seen among all race‐sex groups. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Respiratory health status in swine producers using respiratory protective devices
Authors: Zejda Jan E. , Hurst Thomas S. , Barber Ernest M. , Rhodes Charles , Dosman James A.
Published: April 2007

A cross‐sectional survey on respiratory health in swine producers showed that 30% of 301 examined men usually used a dust mask when working inside a barn. They did not differ significantly from dust mask nonusers in respect to respiratory symptoms and lung function. This analysis was undertaken to determine whether the respiratory health of dust mask users was associated with reasons why they had started individual respiratory protection. The subjects were recontacted in order to identify those who started using a mask to deliberately prevent symptoms (42 men) and those who started protection because of pre‐existing respiratory symptoms (44 men). Not unexpectedly, betweengroup comparisons of respiratory symptoms and lung function suggest that swine producers who wear dust masks for preventive purposes have better respiratory health than those who wear dust masks because of symptoms or those who do not use individual respiratory protection. The individual reasons for starting dust mask usage should be examined among potential determinants of the outcomes of prospective studies which can then provide more valid assessment of the effect of individual respiratory protection. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Respiratory function in sewage workers
Authors: Zuskin Eugenija , Mustajbegovic Jadranka , Schachter E. Neil
Published: April 2007

Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory capacity were studied in a group of 74 sewage workers employed in cleaning the city sewage system of Zagreb, Croatia. Workers were studied by their work stations: closed channels (N + 26), drainage (N + 31), and other sewage workers (N + 17). The prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was higher in closed channel and drainage workers than in controls, particularly for chronic cough (range: 41.9–46.2% vs. 14.3%), chronic phlegm (range: 38.7–46.2% vs. 14.3%), chronic bronchitis (range: 32.3–42.3% vs. 8.6%), and chest tightness (range: 29.0–53.8% vs. 0%). In the first two groups of sewage workers there was a high prevalence of acute symptoms which developed during the work shift, being particularly pronounced for eye irritation (range: 16.1–26.9%), dyspnea (16.1–23.1%), dizziness (range: 6.5–23.1%), throat burning (9.7–19.2%), and skin irritation (range: 22.6–26.9%). Baseline ventilatory capacity was significantly decreased compared to predicted values in sewage workers; in particular, values for FEF50 and FEF25 were reduced, suggesting obstructive changes in smaller airways. Our data indicate that sewage workers experience frequent acute and chronic respiratory symptoms and exhibit objective evidence of respiratory dysfunction. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Solvent‐induced chronic toxic encephalopathy
Authors: Rasmussen Kurt , Jeppesen Hans Jeppe , Sabroe Svend
Published: April 2007

Chlorinated solvents, especially trichloroethylene, have been extensively used for metal degreasing since the beginning of this century. There have been case reports of cranial nerve damage and symptoms of acute and reversible encephalopathy. However, another issue during the last decade is the possible existence of a syndrome of chronic cerebral dysfunction. Our study deals with the risk of developing a state of psychoorganic syndrome after long‐term exposure to solvents, mainly trichloroethylene. In this historical cohort study, 96 metal degreasers participated in a clinical medical and psychological examination. The risk of developing psychoorganic syndrome was proportional to the exposure duration, to increasing age, and to decreasing primary intellectual level. Using logistic regression analysis, there was a significantly increased risk of developing psychoorganic syndrome from solvent exposure. There was an odds ratio of 5.6 (0.93–34.3) for psychoorganic syndrome in the medium‐exposed group. In the most highly exposed group, with a mean full‐time exposure duration of 11 years, there was a significantly increased risk of psychoorganic syndrome, the adjusted odds ratio was 11.2 (1.9–66.6). None of four other potential confounders (arteriosclerotic disease, neurologic/psychiatric disease, alcohol abuse, and current solvent exposure) had any significant associations to psychoorganic syndrome. © 1993 Wiley‐List, Inc.
A diagnostic approach to asbestosis, utilizing clinical criteria, high resolution computed tomography, and gallium scanning
Authors: Klaas Virginia E.
Published: April 2007

Seventy‐five individuals known to have significant exposure to asbestos were evaluated by physical exam, pulmonary function tests (PFT), chest radiographs, high resolution computed tomography (HRCT), gallium‐67 scanning, and various laboratory exams. Sixteen subjects met three of the following four criteria and were considered to have clinical asbestosis: 1) bibasilar rales, 2) FVC < 80% of predicted, 3) DLCO < 80% of predicted, and 4) an abnormal chest radiograph.

Evaluations which included HRCT and Ga scanning detected pulmonary disease in these asbestos‐exposed individuals in many cases where other modalities were unable to demonstrate significant abnormalities. While only 21% of the subjects satisfied commonly accepted criteria for the diagnosis of asbestosis, 75% had evidence of disease by both HRCT and gallium scanning. These data suggest that it may be time to include HRCT and Ga scanning when evaluating asbestos‐exposed individuals, especially in cases where evaluations by physical exam, PFTs, and chest radiographs are non‐diagnostic. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mortality of workers hired during world war II
Authors: Steenland Kyle
Published: April 2007

There has been some suggestion that men first hired during World War II do not show the typical healthy worker effect and may have been more unhealthy than their counterparts who entered military service. We have studied 41,000 workers at six plants to determine whether men hired during World War II had higher mortality than men hired just before or after WWII. No evidence was found of any “unhealthy WWII worker” effect. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Peripheral neuropathy after occupational exposure to 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin (TCDD)
Authors: Sweeney Marie Haring , Fingerhut Marilyn A. , Arezzo Joseph C. , Hornung Richard W. , Connally L. Barbara
Published: April 2007

Reports of human exposure to 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin (TCDD) describe signs and symptoms consistent with exposure‐related peripheral neuropathy. In a crosssectional study, prevalence of peripheral neuropathy was measured in 265 workers exposed 15 years earlier to chemicals contaminated with TCDD and in 244 unexposed, age‐, race‐, gender‐ and community‐matched comparisons. Cases of peripheral neuropathy were defined from examination, electrophysiologic and quantitative sensory tests, and symptoms. Exposure was assessed by measuring lipid‐adjusted serum TCDD levels. The mean serum TCDD level for workers (220 parts per trillion (ppt)) was significantly higher than for referents (7 ppt) (p < .0001). Thirty‐two percent of both worker and referent groups met the case definition for peripheral neuropathy. In the logistic regression analyses, serum TCDD level was not related to peripheral neuropathy. These data suggest that despite continued high serum TCDD levels, peripheral neuropathy is not a long‐term sequela of high exposure to TCDD‐contaminated chemicals. However, the study cannot preclude the occurrence and subsequent resolution of acute effects caused by high exposure, as experienced in Seveso and possibly by some workers, while exposed to high levels of TCDD‐contaminated substances. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fiberglass or silica exposure and increased nephritis or ESRD (end‐stage renal disease)
Authors: Goldsmith John R. , Goldsmith David F.
Published: April 2007

The U.S. multiplant cohort mortality study of workers producing manufactured mineral fibers is finding increasing mortality from nephritis and/or nephrosis. We examine other data sets to see if similar effects can be identified.

In a case‐referent study among Michigan patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), men with exposures to silica have elevated odds ratio for ESRD.

In a California occupational mortality study based on 1979–81 data, a number of the construction trades, farmers, and farm laborers show excess mortality for renal disease. The highest mortality ratio is found in the category including insulation workers. This ratio remains significantly elevated when adjusted for estimated exposures to smoking, alcohol, and for socio‐economic status. California mortality data from 20 years earlier (1959–61) fail to show much excess renal disease in construction workers, but do for farmers. In Singapore, granite workers with a long‐term exposure to silica have excess excretion of albumin and similar compounds compared to less exposed controls, leading to the presumption that silica exposure can lead to silica nephrotoxicity.

Balkan nephropathy has been associated with consumption of well water high in silica. In the Negev of Israel, dust storms are a vehicle for increasing respiratory uptake of silica. The Beduin, thought to be a population with maximal exposures, have higher rates of ESRD than do Jews in the age groups over 60 years.

Although high blood concentrations of silica are found in persons with renal failure, the close association with elevated creatinine has been interpreted as evidence that the buildup of silica is due to renal failure, rather than vice‐versa.

The evidence is consistent with, but not yet compelling, that exposure to silica, which can be readily absorbed (or dissolved) from the lung, may increase the long‐term risk of renal disease including renal failure. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Case‐control study of congenital defects and parental employment in health care
Authors: Matte Thomas D. , Mulinare Joseph , Erickson J. David
Published: April 2007

Health care workers may be occupationally exposed to known and suspected teratogens including viruses, anesthetic gases, sterilants, mercury, and x‐radiation. To assess the risk of congenital defects among offspring of health care workers, we analyzed parental occupational histories for 4,915 case babies with congenital defects, registered during the years 1968–1980 by the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP) registry, and for 3,027 control babies born without defects during the same period. Offspring of mothers employed in a nursing occupation during the periconceptional period had a modest excess risk of having at least one congenital defect (relative risk [RR] = 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.88); the offspring were at statistically significant increased risk of having anencephaly or spina bifida (RR = 2.00; 95% CI 1.01–4.30), coarctation of the aorta (RR = 2.06; 95% CI 1.10–3.82), genital system defects (RR = 1.61; 95% CI 1.03–2.53), and urinary system defects (RR = 3.43; 95% CI 1.41–8.34). These associations were not confounded by maternal age, education, or alcohol consumption. Offspring of mothers employed in administrative or clerical jobs in the health care industry also had a modest excess risk of defects (RR = 1.35; 95% CI 0.96–1.90), including a statistically significant excess risk of limb defects. We also found associations between neural tube defects and potential exposure to anesthetic gases and to x‐radiation, but each association was based on only three case babies of potentially exposed parents. We found no associations between defects and paternal health care employment, except for a few individual defects, and these were based on small numbers of exposed subjects. Only one of five previous studies reviewed found an increased risk of congenital defects among offspring of nurses, but three of the four negative studies had substantially smaller sample sizes than the present study. Detection bias may be a possible explanation for the apparent excess risk of certain defects among offspring of nurses. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Cor pulmonale and pneumoconiotic lung disease: An investigation using hospital discharge data
Authors: Kusiak Robert , Liss Gary M. , Gailitis Maris M.
Published: April 2007

Cor pulmonale has been reported in the past to be associated with pneumoconiosis as an end‐stage complication. However, whether the association can be demonstrated among cases of pneumoconiosis acquired in more recent decades is not clear. We examined the relation between these conditions using data summarized in hospital records in Ontario for males discharged between 1979 and 1990 with a diagnosis of chronic cor pulmonale or one of the pneumoconioses.

Based on the age‐specific frequency rates, cor pulmonale was diagnosed 17 (95% confidence interval 13–22) times more frequently than expected among men diagnosed with pneumoconiosis than among other men admitted to hospital.

Our investigation indicates that cor pulmonale still appears to be associated with dust exposure in the workplace, and it demonstrates the usefulness of hospital discharge information in addressing questions in occupational health. However, we recommend that hospital medical records be examined to confirm the diagnoses and to determine the smoking histories of these men. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Median sensory distal amplitude and latency: Comparisons between nonexposed managerial/professional employees and industrial workers
Authors: Stetson Diana S. , Silverstein Barbara A. , Keyserling W. Monroe , Wolfe Robert A. , Albers James W.
Published: April 2007

To test for associations between occupation and median nerve dysfunction, measures of median motor and median and ulnar sensory amplitude and distal latency were compared among three populations: control subjects without occupational exposure to highly forceful or repetitive hand exertions (N = 105), industrial workers with hand/wrist symptoms (N = 103), and asymptomatic industrial workers (N = 137).

Mean sensory amplitudes were significantly smaller (p < 0.05) and motor and sensory distal latencies were significantly longer (p < 0.001) in the industrial “asymptomatic hand” population compared to the control population. Prolongation of median relative to ulnar latency was significantly longer in the asymptomatic industrial population (p < 0.05). Results were most plausibly explained by differences in checklist identified ergonomic stressors.

Median sensory amplitudes were significantly smaller (p < 0.01) and latencies longer (p < 0.05) for industrial workers with exposure to high grip forces compared to those without. Exposure misclassification may have reduced power to detect statistically significant differences between exposed and nonexposed population groups. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Serum IgG antibodies to mold spores in two norwegian sawmill populations: Relationship to respiratory and other work‐related symptoms
Authors: Eduard Wijnand , Sandven Per , Levy Finn
Published: April 2007

Wood trimmers and planing operators from two separate sawmill populations (N = 303 and 170) were studied by serology assessment and a self‐administered questionnaire. IgG antibodies to Rhizopus microsporus ssp. rhizopodiformis, Paecilomyces variotti, and Aspergillus fumigatus were measured by ELISA. The questionnaire included questions about general respiratory symptoms and symptoms after handling moldy timber. Personal exposure of wood trimmers to mold spores and wood dust was measured in one part of the sawmills. R. microsporus was the most prevalent mold assessed by serology. Antibody levels were higher and symptoms suggestive of mucous membrane irritation, chronic nonspecific lung disease, allergic alveolitis, and organic dust toxic syndrome were more frequently reported by wood trimmers than by planing operators. The mean level of IgG antibodies to R. microsporus in sawmill workers working in the same work area was the best predictor of symptoms in both populations. The consistent results indicate that exposure to spores of R. microsporus may cause several respiratory symptoms in wood trimmers. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cluster of testicular cancer in police officers exposed to hand‐held radar
Authors: Davis Robert L. , Mostofi F. Kash
Published: April 2007

Within a cohort of 340 police officers, six incident cases of testicular cancer occurred between 1979 and 1991 (O/E 6.9; p<0.001, Poisson distribution). Occupational use of hand‐held radar was the only shared risk factor among all six officers, and all routinely held the radar gun directly in close proximity to their testicles. Health effects of occupational radar use have not been widely studied, and further research into a possible association with testicular cancer is warranted. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Health hazards to children in the service industries
Authors: Kinney Joseph A.
Published: April 2007

The purpose of this article is to examine the persistent, yet underrecognized, problem of adolescent occupational injury. There is little appreciation for the magnitude and scope of this problem, including, particularly, the underlying causes and factors of adolescent occupational injury; this is especially so outside the occupational health field. There are many reasons why the scope of adolescent occupational injury remains unappreciated. For example, injury surveillance systems, including workers' compensation records, do not reveal the level of this problem because many injuries are not properly compensated. This paper examines health hazards to children in the service industries from various perspectives. This scrutiny will include an examination of adolescent occupational injury levels and the reasons why this problem is large and growing. In closing, we consider ways to improve public policies in order to portray this problem accurately, the first step toward meaningful injury prevention strategies. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Work‐related injuries among Massachusetts children: A study based on emergency department data
Authors: Brooks Daniel R. , Davis Letitia K. , Gallagher Susan S.
Published: April 2007

Millions of children in the United States work and, despite federal and state laws, face safety hazards. Previous studies have documented large numbers of injuries suffered on the job by working children. This study describes work‐related injuries to children 14–17 years old in 14 Massachusetts communities (representing 5% of the state population) based on data from emergency departments and hospital admissions collected as part of a large population‐based surveillance study of injuries to children and adolescents from 1979 to 1982. An estimated 1,176 work‐related injuries occurred during the three‐year period, accounting for 7–13% of all injury‐related emergency department visits in this age group; the proportion among 17‐year‐olds was 14–26%. Cuts and lacerations were the most frequent type of injury, cutting/piercing was the most common cause, and cutting instruments were the most frequently identified products. Seventeen children were hospitalized for work‐related injuries during the course of the study. The estimated annual rate of occupational injury rose from 3.7/1,000 children for 14‐ to 15‐year‐olds to 44.7/1000 for 17‐year‐olds; these rates count all resident children, regardless of their employment status, in the denominator. Rates based on actual hours worked are much higher, and strongly suggest that working minors should be considered a high‐risk group for occupational injury. This study adds to the mounting evidence that work‐related injuries to children are a significant public health problem and contribute significantly to the overall incidence of injuries among children 14–17 years old. The study also demonstrates the potential of emergency department data as a valuable source of information about work‐related injuries to children. Active surveillance systems combining data from emergency departments, workers' compensation, and other potential sources should be established to fully document the nature and extent of the problem. Efforts to prevent these injuries will require the combined attention of employers, parents, medical providers, educators and regulators, as well as working children themselves. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Current trends in state child labor legislation and enforcement
Authors: Beyer Dorianne
Published: April 2007

There is much current child labor law activity, none of it reflecting concern with occupational health hazards. The focus of the legislation is on time for and dedication to education as youth's foremost priority. The only areas of state legislative change that could affect children's health and safety in the workplace are a general movement toward monetarily increasing fines and penalties and some minor inclusions of agricultural restrictions on young workers. Enforcement efforts are in all cases a primary indication of state commitment to child labor law protections, and these efforts are decreasing. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Organic dust exposures from compost handling: Case presentation and respiratory exposure assessment
Authors: Weber S. , Kullman G. , Petsonk E. , Jones W. G. , Olenchock S. , Sorenson W. , Parker J. , Marcelo‐Baciu R. , Frazer D. , Castranova V.
Published: April 2007

Inhalation of dust from contaminated organic materials may result in acute respiratory tract illness. Possible mechanisms include toxic and cellular reactions to microbial and other organic products or immunologic responses after prior sensitization to an antigen. A case is presented of a 52 year old male who developed fever, myalgia, and marked dyspnea 12 hr after shoveling composted wood chips and leaves. Inspiratory crackles, hypoxemia, and bilateral patchy pulmonary infiltrates were seen. Precipitating antibody tests for the usual antigens were inconclusive. He improved over 3 days.

In order to assess the environmental conditions the patient had experienced, we returned to the site to reproduce and measure respiratory exposures during hand loading of the compost. Visible clouds of fine particulate were easily generated during handling activities. Microscopic examination of these dusts indicated a predominance of spores. Endotoxin concentrations from inspirable and respirable dust samples ranged from 636 to 16,300 endotoxin units/m3. Levels of contaminants found were consistent with those associated with respiratory illness in other agricultural settings.

Two respiratory disorders, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) and organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS), may occur after exposure to organic dusts containing fungal spores and endotoxins. Despite extensive clinical and environmental investigations, we were unable to differentiate these two disorders, and suggest they may represent parts of a spectrum of responses to complex organic dusts, rather than completely distinct clinical entities. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Mortality patterns among men in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry
Authors: Delzell Elizabeth , MacAluso Maurizio , Honda Yasushi , Austin Harland
Published: April 2007

This retrospective follow‐up study evaluates the mortality experience of 123,232 male hourly workers employed at a motor vehicle manufacturing company in 1973. Company computerized personnel records were used to identify subjects and to obtain their employment history. Follow‐up through December 31, 1985 was conducted using company, state, and national data sources. The mortality rates of the cohort were compared with the rates of the United States (U.S.) general population of white or black men, adjusting for age and calendar time, and using the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) as the measure of association.

The overall mortality rate of cohort members is lower than the U.S. rate by 11% among whites (11,060 observed/12,427 expected deaths; SMR = 89) and by 24% among blacks (3,744/4,926 deaths; SMR = 76). These low mortality rates reflect deficits of diseases other than cancer. Cancer SMRs are 99 for whites and 90 for blacks. There are slight excesses of stomach cancer (SMR = 113) and of lung cancer (SMR = 108) among whites and of cancer of the large intestine and rectum (SMR = 114) and of the lymphopoietic tissue (SMR = 111) among blacks. Both whites and blacks have a large deficit of buccal cancer and pharynx cancer, and blacks also have a deficit of esophagus cancer.

The cohort's overall deficit of deaths is due largely to the favorable mortality experience of active workers. In contrast, white subjects who have left active employment have an 11% mortality excess, and inactive black subjects have a mortality rate that is similar to the general population rate. The increased mortality among inactive whites is not limited to any one particular disease category. This pattern may reflect illness‐related employment termination and generalized confounding by socioeconomic status, although the study does not rule out a relationship between workplace exposures and specific diseases. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Use of city directories as a source of occupational data in a case‐cotnrol study
Authors: Rosenbaum Paula F. , Vena John E. , Zielezny Maria A. , Michalek Arthur
Published: April 2007

The association between occupational factors and male breast cancer was investigated in a population‐based case‐control study conducted in Western New York state. Since 9% of cases and controls were missing occupational information in the tumor registry (usual occupation) and screening clinic (type of work done) files, supplemental occupational data were collected from commercial city directories. Occupational data were located for 69% of participants via the city directory thereby reducing the missing occupational data to 3%. For individuals with occupational listings in both the original source document and the city directories, similar titles were found for 94% of cases. Factors to be considered in assessing the feasiblty of directory usage include purpose of study, degree of directory coverage within the geographic area, gender of participants, and availability of personnel and resources. City directories are a valuable supplemental source of occupational data for hypothesis generating case‐control studies or registry‐based studies of men conducted in urban areas. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Identification of formaldehyde releasers and occurrence of formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers in registered chemical products
Authors: Flyvholm Mari‐Ann , Andersen Poul
Published: April 2007

Substances referred to as formaldehyde releasers were identified on review of the literature. Information on product categories and typical concentrations for chemical products containing formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers was obtained from the Danish Product Register Data Base (PROBAS). As of February 1992, 62,000 products were registered in PROBAS, 30,900 of these with information on composition and product category. Among the components of these products, 19 of the 22 identified formaldehyde releasers were found. The number of products registered with each formaldehyde releaser varied from 4 to 171, with cleaning agents, soaps, shampoos, paint/lacquers, and cutting fluids as the most frequent product categories. The most frequently registered formaldehyde releasers were bromonitropropanediol, bromonitrodioxane, and chloroallylhexaminium chloride. Formaldehyde itself was registered in 1,781 products, and was found in all product categories included in the study. It is concluded that products for industrial use as well as household and personal care products should be considered as sources of formaldehyde exposure. The use of unsystematic chemical names in literature is discussed. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Psychometric tests for assessment of brain function after solvent exposure
Authors: Rasmussen Kurt , Jeppesen Hans Jeppe , Sabroe Svend
Published: April 2007

Psychometric testing is a key issue in neuropsychological toxicology assessment. Evaluation of methods for assessing general intellectual impairment is necessary as conventional neurology has been shown to be insensitive to the neurotoxic effects of solvents and metals. This study presents an analysis of a psychometric test battery from an investigation of psycho‐organic syndrome in a historical cohort of 96 metal degreasers with long‐term exposure to solvents, particularly trichloroethylene.

The neuropsychological test battery was a combination of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), Luria, and tests developed in Scandinavia. Linear regression analysis showed a significant dose‐response relation between increasing cumulative solvent exposure and impaired psychometric test performance in 9 out of 15 tests. Multivariate analysis, however, suggests that much of the variance was due to confounding variables, especially age, and to a lesser degree, primary intellectual function and word blindness. After control for confounding factors the strongest association with solvent exposure occurred for the following three tests: acoustic‐motor function, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), and the visual gestalt test. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prevention of epoxy resin dermatitis: Failure of manufacturers to use available research information
Authors: Holmes Noni , Pearce Peter , Simpson Gary
Published: April 2007

Research information is often recommended as a solution for occupational disease and injury. This study asks whether publicly available research information on prevention of a well‐documented occupational hazard is acted on by an important sector in industry. The hazard, allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) caused by epoxy resins in paints, is particularly significant for painters, who may have to leave their jobs as a consequence of the condition. No evidence is found, according to a priori criteria, that paint manufacturers/suppliers acted on known prevention measures for epoxy resin ACD that are within their control to implement. The findings suggest that availability of research information alone fails to solve health and safety problems. Recommendations for avenues of direct and indirect enforcement where voluntary implementation is absent in the painting industry are suggested. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Carcinogenic effects of wood dust: Review and discussion
Authors: Nylander Leena A. , Dement John M.
Published: April 2007

Occupational exposure to wood dust (alone or chemically treated) is associated with an increased risk of developing adenocarcinoma of the nasal cavity. The specific causative agents, i.e., wood dust alone (natural products), wood dust with additives used in the processing or manufacturing of wood products, and/or physical determinants of wood dust and the associated risk factors, are not known or understood.

The strongest association of exposure to wood dust and development of nasal cancer is observed in those occupations where workers are exposed to hard wood dust and chemical additives are not used. The time between first occupational exposure to wood dust and the development of adenocarcinoma of the nasal cavity averages 40 years (range 7–70 years). The epidemiological data available are not sufficient to make a definitive assessment between wood dust exposure and increased risk for cancer other than nasal cancer.

The toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity of wood dust to laboratory animals or in vitro with animal or microbial cells have not been throughly studied. Thus there is no direct experimental evidence on the potential hazards of wood dust. Data are insufficient or lacking on 1) wood dust exposure levels in ambient air and worker's breathing zone, and the deposition in the nasal cavity; 2) hard vs. soft wood dusts; 3) particle size and shape; 4) chemical composition of wood dust and the extent of contamination with chemical additives; and 5) interaction between inhaled wood dust, chronic irritation, and tobacco smoking. These data are required so that one can understand the association between wood dust exposure and nasal cavity tumors, along with demographic differences in cancer rates, and to develop strategies for intervention and reduction of disease causing agents in order to reduce risk to wood industry workers. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Arsenic poisoning in Central Kentucky: A case report
Authors: Kelafant Geoffrey A. , Kasarskis Edward J. , Horstman Sanford W. , Cohen Chaim , Frank Arthur L.
Published: April 2007

A recent case of chronic arsenic intoxication due to prolonged accidental ingestion of a commercially available crabgrass killer illustrates one of the more common etiologies of present day arsenic poisoning. A review of 20 years of arsenic poisoning at the University of Kentucky (21 cases) revealed no cases attributable to an industrial source. A tabulation of the 21 most recent cases is included. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comments on the health effects institute‐asbestos research (HEI‐AR) report: “Asbestos in public and commercial buildings,” with emphasis on risk assessment methods used
Authors: Sterling Theodor D. , Collett Chris W. , Rosenbaum Wilf L. , Weinkam James J.
Published: April 2007

A Health Effects Institute—Asbestos Research Report calculates the risk of exposure to environmental asbestos fibers (EAF) by downward extrapolation from the mortality of workers exposed for 20 years. This extrapolation is improper because 1) relative risks of asbestos exposure very likely are not linearly progressive; 2) the composition of EAF may not be equivalent to that in mining or fabricating; 3) the same environmental asbestos concentration probably represents different exposure doses for different populations; and 4) health effects of asbestos exposure on children, seniors, patients, the institutionalized, the handicapped, and the chronically ill may not be the same as those of healthy workers. Evidence of asbestos‐related disease among family members of exposed workers demonstrates that the risk observed for EAF is substantially larger than that estimated from downward extrapolation and suggests a basis for an alternative approach to estimating asbestos‐related health risks. Such epidemiologic procedures are well established and ought to form the basis for detecting the health effects of EAF. It is also unclear which industry supports HEI‐AR. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bacteria, fungi, and endotoxin as potential agents of occupational hazard in a potato processing plant
Authors: Dutkiewicz Jacek
Published: April 2007

Workers in a potato processing plant were exposed at the particular workplace to large concentrations of airborne microorganisms and endotoxin. The presence of precipitins to microbial antigens was significantly correlated with the occurrence of the work‐related respiratory and general symptoms that were found in 45.9% of the examined workers. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Exposure to bacterial aerosols and work‐related symptoms in sewage workers
Authors: Melbostad Erik , Eduard Wijnand , Skogstad Asbjørn , Sandven Per , Lassen Jørgen , Søstrand Per , Heldal Kari
Published: April 2007

Personal exposure to airborne bacteria and symptoms were studied in 24 sewage workers. An association between levels of total bacteria, rod‐shaped bacteria, and symptoms, such as tiredness and headache, during and after work was found. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sephadex‐induced granulomatous alveolitis in rat: Effects of antigen manipulation
Authors: Bjermer Leif , Sandström Thomas , Särnstrand Bengt , Brattsand Ralph
Published: April 2007

A granulomatous alveolitis, with multinuclear cell formation combined with an eosino‐philic peribronchiolitis, was achieved in rats by intratracheal administration of sephadex beads (G‐200, Pharmacia, Sweden). The pattern of inflammation and the degree of postgranulomatous fibrosis were substantially dampened when the particles were dispersed by ultrasonification. The animals were analyzed with bronchoalveolar lavage and tissue morphology. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Viral infection enhances lung response to Micropolyspora faeni
Authors: Cormier Yvon , Assayag E. , Tremblay G.
Published: April 2007

Farmer's lung is an important form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. It is believed to represent a delayed type allergic reaction to microorganisms found in moldy hay dust. The disease is prevalent in farmers from countries where, because of high humidity in the summer, molding of stored hay is unavoidable. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Occupational perilymph fistula
Authors: Forst Linda S. , Atterbury Margaret
Published: April 2007

A case of occupational perilymph fistula in an ironworker is described. The patient was lifting and lowering 200 pounds of steel when he developed sudden onset of vertigo. Surgical exploration of the middle ear demonstrated leakage of perilymph fluid from the round window. Grafting of the window led to improvement of symptoms, but the patient was unable to continue work as an ironworker due to difficulty with balance. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Toxic health effects including reversible macrothrombocytosis in workers exposed to asphalt fumes
Authors: Chase Robert M. , Liss Gary M. , Cole Donald C. , Heath Bonnie
Published: April 2007

We investigated an outbreak of irritative and neurotoxic symptoms associated with exposure to asphalt fumes in a commercial lighting factory; 27 symptomatic female workers were clinically assessed including hematologic testing. When compared with a laboratory reference group (n = 107), the workers' mean platelet volume (MPV) was significantly higher and mean platelet count was lower (p = 0.013 and p = 0.048, respectively). Five months later, the factory's ventilation system was substantially modified. Follow‐up assessments 6 months postmodification on 15 of the original workers documented a significant decline in acute symptoms and a lowering of the subjects' mean MPV towards normal (p = 0.0007 by paired t‐test). The findings suggest that reversible macrothrombocytosis (enlarged platelets) can occur among symptomatic workers exposed to asphalt fumes. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.