bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A cross‐sectional study of hand/wrist symptoms in female grocery checkers
Authors: Morgenstern Hal , Kelsh Michael , Kraus Jess , Margolis Wendy 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA questionnaire was mailed, in 1986, to 1,345 grocery checkers who belonged to one union local in south‐central California. Among the 1,058 female respondents (82% response rate), we found a 12% prevalence of hand/wrist symptoms characteristic of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Symptom prevalence was positively associated with age, average work hours per week, years worked as a checker, and use of diuretics. The estimated effect of years worked as a checker was greater for younger subjects than for older subjects, in whom the association reversed, suggesting the selective loss of symptomatic workers from their jobs (a form of the healthy‐worker effect). Although no effects were found for specific job‐related activities, we estimate that CTS symptoms in at least three of every five symptomatic workers were attributable to occupational exposures.
Testicular cancer in young men and parental occupational exposure
Authors: Kardaun Jan W. P. F. , Hayes Richard B. , Pottern Linda M. , Brown Linda Morris , Hoover Robert N. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractTo investigate whether parental occupation, especially during the 12 month period before birth, could be responsible for elevated rates of testicular cancer in young men, we used data from a case‐control study of 223 cases and 212 controls conducted in the Washington, DC area. For all histologic types of testicular cancer combined, no significant associations were found for specific occupations, nor for the broad occupational categories of professional, other white collar, or blue collar workers. However, for cases with seminomas, excess risks were seen for those with parents employed in the following occupations: mothers in health‐related occupations, O.R. = 4.6 (1.1–19.1), and fathers working in automobile service stations, O.R. = 4.0 (0.6–24.5), manufacturing industries, O.R. = 2.2 (1.0–4.2), and aircraft production and maintenance, O.R. = 5.3 (0.7–24.1), Although these findings for seminoma are intriguing, they do not explain the increase of testicular cancer in young men.
Occupational and environmental health in Eastern Europe: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Frumkin Howard , Levy Barry S. , Levenstein Charles 
Published: April 2007

AbstractAs the nations of Eastern Europe undergo political and economic transitions, they face considerable occupational and environmental health challenges. Although occupational health services are relatively well developed, environmental health services and policies are not. There are major needs in the areas of education and training, supplies and equipment, and policy development. In addition, privatization poses a variety of new challenges and dangers to occupational and environmental health. This commentary discusses the challenges that face Eastern European nations, and describes opportunities for collaboration among scientists, policymakers, labor, management, and community groups in the United States and Eastern Europe.
Mortality of employed men and women
Authors: Goldblatt Peter , Fox John , Leon David 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThis paper presents mortality data for a 1% sample of men and women in England and Wales who were employed at the time of the 1971 Census of Population. It provides background information on the “healthy worker effect” by age, social class (as determined by occupation), cause of death, and length of follow‐up.As expected, relative mortality of those employed at census rose with subsequent follow‐up. This effect was strongly age‐related, apparently as a consequence of the development (and increasing predominance) of chronic diseases with age. This suggests a unified explanation for some of the variation described in the literature.Statistical modelling of the relationship between mortality and length of follow‐up confirmed that the healthy worker effect did not entirely disappear as follow‐up progressed in this study. We examined social background as an explanation for this persistently low mortality, but found no evidence to suggest that it was an important factor.
A longitudinal study of pulmonary function in fire fighters
Authors: Tepper Allison , Comstock George W. , Levine Marshal 
Published: April 2007

AbstractPulmonary function changes among fire fighters were evaluated by re‐examining 632 Baltimore city fire fighters six to ten years after a baseline examination. Spirometry was used to determine forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). Information about exposures was obtained by questionnaire and by combining data from fire department records regarding the number of fires fought by fire fighting units with individual work histories. Men who never wore a mask while extinguishing fires experienced a 1.7 times greater rate of FEV1 decline than mask wearers. Men with ammonia exposure experienced a rate of decline 1.7 times greater than non‐exposed men. Neither length of time spent in exposed jobs nor number of responses were associated with the rate of decline. Active fire fighters experienced a rate of decline 2.5 times greater than those who had retired or resigned. Some effects differed between men who were able to perform repeatable pulmonary function tests and those who were not.
An industry‐wide epidemiologic study of vinyl chloride workers, 1942–1982
Authors: Wong Otto , Whorton M. Donald , Foliart Donna E. , Ragland David 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe cohort consisted of 10,173 men who had worked for at least one year in jobs involving exposure to vinyl chloride prior to 1 January 1973. These men were employed at 37 plants in the U.S., belonging to 17 companies. Observation of the mortality experience of the cohort was updated from 31 December 1972 to 31 December 1982 (the study now covering 1942–1982). A total of 1,536 cohort members were identified as having died. The observed mortality, by cause, was compared with the expected based on U.S. mortality rates, standardized for age, race, and calendar time. Analyses by length of exposure, latency, age at first exposure, calendar year of first exposure, and type of products were performed. The study confirmed that the vinyl chloride workers experience a significant mortality excesses in angiosarcoma (15 deaths), cancer of the liver and biliary tract (SMR = 641), and cancer of the brain and other central nervous system (SMR = 180). In addition, the study also found a significant mortality excess in emphysema/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (SMR = 179). On the other hand, the study did not find any excess in either respiratory cancer or lymphatic and hematopoietic cancer. This study also found an increase in biliary tract cancers, independent from liver cancer.
Solvent exposure and the risk of slips, trips, and falls among painters
Authors: Hunting Katherine L. , Matanoski Genevieve M. , Larson Marilyn , Wolford Rodney 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThis study evaluated risk factors for injurious and noninjurious slips, trips, and falls among painters and investigated the hypothesis that exposure to solvents influenced the risk of such accidents. The data were collected longitudinally over an 11 month period. Weekly self‐administered questionnaires detailed paint solvent exposure; work‐related slips, trips, and falls (STFs); and potentially hazardous job tasks and environmental conditions. An initial questionnaire ascertained personal data, such as age, solvent exposure history, and alcohol consumption. During the study, 2,088 person‐weeks of data were collected. Some participants provided many weeks of data, while others responded sporadically.Exposure to potentially hazardous environmental conditions was significantly related to the occurrence of STFs during a week. Several measures of solvent exposure were evaluated for their effect on STFs. Low solvent exposure during a week significantly increased the occurrence of slips, trips, and falls compared to no exposure. Moderate and high weekly exposure were not associated with increased risk, however. Week‐to‐week variability in the amount of solvent exposure was a strong positive predictor of STFs. Further analysis showed that both increases and decreases in solvent exposure between the preceding 2 weeks and the week of the STF were positively related to the risk of such events. The stongest effect was observed for exposure increases over the preceding 2 weeks. Overall, the results suggest that solvent exposure variability may increase accident risk, and possible explanations are explored.
Occupational hearing loss in New York dairy farmers
Authors: Marvel Matthew E. , Pratt David S. , Marvel Laura H. , Regan Margaret , May John J. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA study of 49 randomly selected, full‐time dairy farmers was performed to assess the prevalence and nature of hearing loss in this population. An age‐ and sex‐matched group of rural, non‐farmers was also studied. Medical, occupational, and recreational histories were taken and standard audiometric testing was administered. Sixty‐five percent of farmers had hearing loss in the higher frequencies and 37% had losses in the mid‐frequency range as compared to 37% and 12% of non‐farmers respectively (p < .01). Farmers' left ears were more severely affected. The age of the subjects and the number of years spent farming were highly correlated with hearing loss. Correlation and regression analyses supported the hypothesis that the difference in the prevalence of hearing loss between the dairy farmers and the non‐farmers was due to occupational noise exposure on the farm.
From conjecture and refutation to the documentation of occupational diseases in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Jung‐Der 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe documentation of occupational diseases in a developing country like Taiwan is a challenge to an occupational physician. For lack of a system including material safety data sheet (MSDS), workers are usually not aware of what chemicals they are exposed to. Since many occupational diseases have long latencies and do not show any specific symptoms and signs, recognition and identification of the occupational origin are often very difficult. Using databases which provide a relatively complete list of industrial chemicals and a set of specific signs and/or symptoms, combined with the epidemiologic approach of conjectures and refutations—i.e., considering and ruling out all possible alternative explanations—we have documented eight kinds of occupational diseases and an outbreak of botulism. We recommend that a similar approach be applied to any other country with a similar situation, and that a system involving an identification sheet (e.g., MSDS) for each chemical be advocated and implemented in such countries as one means to enable prompt recognition and prevention of occupational diseases.
A study of the effect of perchloroethylene exposure on semen quality in dry cleaning workers
Authors: Eskenazi Brenda , Wyrobek Andrew J. , Fenster Laura , Katz David F. , Sadler Marianne , Lee Jon , Hudes Mark , Rempel David M. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of perchloroethylene (PCE) exposure on human semen quality. We compared the semen quality of 34 dry cleaners with that of 48 laundry workers. We examined the relationships of 17 semen parameters to expired air levels of PCE and to an index of exposure based on job tasks in the last three months. The average sperm concentration was over 80 million for both dry cleaners and laundry workers, but approximately one‐quarter of each group was oligospermic. The overall percentage of abnormal forms was similar for the two groups; however, sperm of dry cleaners were significantly more likely to be round (t = −3.29, p = 0.002) and less likely to be narrow (t = 2.35, p = 0.02) than the sperm of laundry workers. These effects were dose‐related to expired air levels and to the exposure index after controlling for potential confounders (e.g., heat exposure). The average percent motile sperm for both groups was slightly over 60%; however, sperm of dry cleaners tended to swim with greater amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) than those of laundry workers (t = −1.73, p = 0.09), and level of PCE in expired air was a significant predictor of ALH in the multiple regression model (t = 2.00, p = 0.05). In addition, exposure index was a significant negative predictor of the sperm linearity parameter (t = −2.57, p = 0.01). These results suggest that occupational exposures to PCE can have subtle effects on sperm quality. Additional analyses are required to determine whether these effects are associated with changes in fertility.
A study of the effect of perchloroethylene exposure on the reproductive outcomes of wives of dry‐cleaning workers
Authors: Eskenazi Brenda , Fenster Laura , Hudes Mark , Wyrobek Andrew J. , Katz David F. , Gerson Jack , Rempel David M. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe purpose of this investigation was to compare the reproductive outcomes of wives of men exposed to perchloroethylene in the dry‐cleaning industry compared to those of wives of laundry workers. Seventeen female partners of dry cleaners and 32 partners of laundry workers were interviewed. The number of pregnancies and the standardized fertility ratios were similar between the two groups. Wives of dry cleaners did not have higher rates of spontaneous abortions. However, wives of dry cleaners were more than twice as likely to have a history of attempting to become pregnant for more than 12 months or to have sought care for an infertility problem. Cox proportional hazards models indicated that dry‐cleaners' wives had half of the per‐cycle pregnancy rate of wives of laundry workers, when controlling for other potential confounders (estimated rate ratio of 0.54, 95% C.I. = 0.23, 1.27).
The incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Australia 1982–1988
Authors: Leigh James , Corvalán Carlos F. , Grimwood Ashraf , Berry Geoffrey , Ferguson David A. , Thompson Rebecca 
Published: April 2007

AbstractFrom 1980 to 1985, the Australian Mesothelioma Surveillance Program, and since 1986, the Australian Mesothelioma Register, have been collecting data on all cases of malignant mesothelioma that could be ascertained in Australia. Incidence rates were calculated on 854 Program and 696 Register cases (total 1271) diagnosed in Australia between January 1, 1982 and December 31, 1988. Australia has one of the highest national rates of mesothelioma in the world (15.8 cases per million of population aged 20 years and older), and the rate is rising. The rate is far higher in males (28.3) than females (3.3). The Western Australian rate (28.9) is the highest among the states, as may be expected because of the crocidolite mine at Wittenoom; however, the largest numbers of cases occur in the more populous and industrial New South Wales. The high incidence rate, its expected continuing increase, and absence of a history of exposure to asbestos in approximately 28% of cases, demand consideration of potential environmental factors other than asbestos in the causation of this tumor, as well as continued surveillance.
Lung function and chest radiograph abnormalities among construction insulators
Authors: Kennedy Susan M. , Vedal Sverre , Müller Nestor , Kassam Anisa , Chan‐Yeung Moira 
Published: April 2007

AbstractWe carried out a prevalence survey of pulmonary health parameters among current and retired construction insulators (50 years old and older) from all areas of British Columbia, Canada. The study population included 59 active workers (81 percent participation in this group) and 29 workers who were retired or inactive due to illness (69% participation). Radiograph results were compared to those from actively working bus mechanics from the same age group, and retired grain and civic workers, who were all tested in the same manner. Chest radiographs were read independently by two readers and were graded according to the ILO classification system. Pleural abnormalities alone were found in 34% (20) of active workers (5% in comparison group) and 45% (13) of non‐active workers (14% in comparison group). Rates for parenchymal abnormalities for these same groups (ILO grade 1/0 or higher) were 17% (5%) and 20% (5%), respectively. Airflow obstruction was present in 35% (31) of the insulators and was associated with age and the presence of diffuse pleural thickening, and 5 or more years of employment in pulp mills. Restrictive lung function was present in 22% (19) of the insulator population and was associated with age and radiographic evidence of parenchymal fibrosis. The results indicate that construction insulators, a group at high risk for asbestos‐related lung disease, also have a high prevalence of airflow obstruction. This was associated not only with smoking, but also with diffuse pleural thickening and a history of pulp‐mill employment, suggesting that airflow obstruction in this population is also partly work related.
Historical perspectives in occupational medicine. Changing attitudes and opinions regarding asbestos and cancer 1934–1965
Authors: Enterline Philip E. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractLiterature published in the years 1934–1965 was reviewed to determine attitudes and opinions of scientists as to whether asbestos is a cause of cancer. In Germany, the issue was decided in 1943 when the government decreed that lung cancer, when associated with asbestosis (of any degree), was an occupational disease. In the United States, however, there was no consensus on the issue until 1964. Opinions of scientists over a 22 year period are shown and the contributions of various cultural, social, economic and political factors to these opinions are discussed. A lack of experimental and epidemiological evidence played a major role in delaying a consensus. Other important factors included a rejection of science conducted outside of the U.S. during this period, particularly a rejection of German scientific thought during and after WWII, and a rejection of clinical evidence in favor of epidemiological investigations. Individual writers rarely changed their minds on the subject of asbestos as a cause of cancer.
The evolution of attitudes to the human hazards of ionizing radiation and to its investigators
Authors: Greenberg Morris 
Published: April 2007

AbstractHanford Works, Richland, Washington, was one of the largest atomic plants in the United States. Several tens of thousands of persons employed at that site have been followed over four decades. Impressive as this number may seem at first sight, the Mancuso/Stewart/Kneale team consider it too small to estimate a cancer risk even 10 times as large as the low level radiation estimate produced by the International Commission on Radiation Protection [Stewart and Kneale, 1981]. It has been estimated [Stern, 1981] that a population 10–100 times the size would be required, even employing sophisticated techniques of analysis.
Acute effects and exposure to organic compounds in road maintenance workers exposed to asphalt
Authors: Norseth Tor , Waage Jostein , Dale Inge 
Published: April 2007

AbstractSubjective symptoms and exposure to organic compounds were recorded in road repair and construction workers. Abnormal fatigue, reduced appetite, laryngeal/pharyngeal irritation, and eye irritation were recorded more often in such workers handling asphalt than in a corresponding reference group without asphalt exposure. Mean daily exposure to volatile compounds was only occasionally above 1 ppm. Mean exposure to asphalt fume was 0.358 mg/m3. There was no correlation between symptoms and total amount of volatile compounds, but a significant positive correlation was demonstrated between symptoms and some substances. The highest correlation was found for 1, 2, 4 trimethyl benzene. Symptoms increased with increasing asphalt temperature and with increasing concentrations of asphalt fumes. Amine addition did not increase the sum of symptoms, but soft asphalt seems to result in fewer symptoms than the harder types. Symptoms were not related to external factors like weather, traffic density, or specific working operations. As preventive measures, asphalt temperature should be kept below 150°C, fume concentrations below 0.40 mg/m3, and if possible, the use of harder asphalt types which also require high temperatures should be avoided.
Respiratory health status of 3098 Canadian grain workers studied longitudinally
Authors: McDuffie Helen H. , Pahwa Punam , Dosman James A. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractAnalyses of data on 3098 male individuals surveyed twice by the Labour Canada Medical Surveillance Program for the Grain Industry are presented. The program collects information on respiratory symptoms, job description, and smoking habits of these workers. In addition, each worker performs pulmonary function tests obtainable through spirometry. Chronic sputum production and chronic wheezing were more prevalent during the latest testing period (rising to 17 percent and 13%, respectively), while the prevalence of chronic cough (16%) and dyspnea (10%) did not change significantly. Eighty‐two percent of these workers, in each time cycle, had normal pulmonary function despite an additional 3 years of work exposure. In each cycle, obstructive dysfunction (≤ 12% of workers) was more prevalent than restrictive dysfunction (≤5%) or combined obstructive/restrictive dysfunction (≤2.4%). It is unknown whether this demonstrated dysfunction is due to previous workplace exposure, as Labour Canada and the Canadian grain industry have cooperated in lowering the grain dust levels found in grain elevators and terminals. In addition, the prevalence of current cigarette smoking has declined. (↓ 5%) among these grain handlers, and there is suggestive evidence that those continuing to smoke have reduced their consumption (mean pack‐years changed only from 15.3 to 17.4). Knowledge of environmental dangers and educational programs have contributed to these encouraging results. (Supported by Labour Canada).
Mortality pattern among pulp and paper mill workers in Sweden: A case‐referent study
Authors: Wingren Gun , Persson Bodil , Thorén Kjell , Axelson Olav 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe mortality pattern among Swedish pulp and paper mill workers was evaluated in a case‐referent study encompassing 4,070 men deceased during the period 1950–1987. The subjects were identified from the register of deaths and burials in six parishes. A significantly increased mortality was seen for diabetes mellitus and for secondary tumors of the lung and liver among the pulp and paper mill workers. Indications of excess risks were also found for obstructive lung disorders, pulmonary emboli, accidents, and pneumonia, as well as for malignant lymphomas, leukemias, and cancer of the pancreas and stomach. In the only parish where a sulfite process was exclusively used, cancer of the digestive tract and especially of the rectum was found to be in excess. Except for this parish, the sulfate process predominated in the plants included. The mortality pattern found in this study is in reasonable agreement with findings in various studies from this type of industry.