Despite low airborne solvent exposures, vehicle collision repair spray painters and panel beaters continue to be at risk of symptoms of neurotoxicity.
ObjectivesTo assess associations between occupation and motor neuron disease (MND).MethodsWe conducted a population-based case–control study with cases (n=321) recruited through the New Zealand Motor Neurone Disease Association and hospital discharge data. Controls (n=605) were recruited from the Electoral Roll. Information on personal and demographic details, lifestyle factors and a full occupational history was collected using questionnaires and interviews. Associations with ever/never employed and employment duration were estimated using logistic regression stratified by sex and adjusted for age, ethnicity, socioeconomic deprivation, education and smoking.ResultsElevated risks were observed for field crop and vegetable growers (OR 2.93, 95% CI 1.10 to 7.77); fruit growers (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.78); gardeners and nursery growers (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.01 to 3.82); crop and livestock producers (OR 3.61, 95% CI 1.44 to 9.02); fishery workers, hunters and trappers (OR 5.62, 95% CI 1.27 to 24.97); builders (OR 2.90, 95% CI 1.41 to 5.96); electricians (OR 3.61, 95% CI 1.34 to 9.74); caregivers (OR 2.65, 95% CI 1.04 to 6.79); forecourt attendants (OR 8.31, 95% CI 1.79 to 38.54); plant and machine operators and assemblers (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.01); telecommunications technicians (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.20 to 14.64); and draughting technicians (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.07 to 8.53). Industries with increased risks were agriculture (particularly horticulture and fruit growing), construction, non-residential care services, motor vehicle retailing, and sport and recreation. Positive associations between employment duration and MND were shown for the occupations fruit growers, gardeners and nursery growers, and crop and livestock producers, and for the horticulture and fruit growing industry.ConclusionsThis study suggests associations between MND and occupations in agriculture and several other occupations.
Dust-exposed construction workers have an increased risk of respiratory symptoms, but the efficacy of dust-control measures remains unclear. This study compared respiratory symptoms, using a modified European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire, between construction workers (n = 208) and a reference group of bus drivers and retail workers (n = 142). Within the construction workers, we assessed the effect of collective (on-tool vacuum/’wet-cut’ systems) and personal (respirators) exposure controls on symptom prevalence. Logistic regression assessed differences between groups, adjusted for age, ethnicity, and smoking status. Construction workers were more likely to cough with phlegm at least once a week (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2–4.7) and cough with phlegm ≥3 months/year for ≥2 years (OR 2.8, CI 1.2–7.0), but they had similar or fewer asthma symptoms. Construction workers who had worked for 11–20 years reported more cough/phlegm symptoms (OR 5.1, 1.7–15.0 for cough with phlegm ≥3 months/year for ≥2 years) than those who had worked <10 years (OR 1.9, 0.6–5.8), when compared to the reference group. Those who used ‘wet-cut’ methods reported less cough with phlegm, although the evidence for this association was weak (OR 0.4, CI 0.2–1.1 for cough with phlegm at least once a week); use of on-tool extraction showed a similar trend. No associations between respiratory protective equipment-use and symptoms were found. In conclusion, construction workers reported more symptoms suggestive of bronchitis, particularly those employed in the industry for >10 years. Use of collective dust exposure controls might protect against these symptoms, but this requires confirmation in a larger study.
Objectives Previous studies have reported high concentrations of airborne fumigants and other chemicals inside unopened shipping containers, but it is unclear whether this is reflective of worker exposures. Methods We collected personal 8-h air samples using a whole-air sampling method. Samples were analysed for 1,2-dibromoethane, chloropicrin, ethylene oxide, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen phosphide, methyl bromide, 1,2-dichloroethane, C2-alkylbenzenes, acetaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, methanol, styrene, and toluene. Additive Mixture Values (AMVs) were calculated using the New Zealand Workplace Exposure standard (WES) and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) of the 8-h, time-weighted average exposure limit. Linear regression was conducted to assess associations with work characteristics. Results We included 133 workers handling shipping containers, 15 retail workers unpacking container goods, 40 workers loading fumigated and non-fumigated export logs, and 5 fumigators. A total of 193 personal 8-h air measurements were collected. Exposures were generally low, with >50% below the limit of detection for most chemicals, and none exceeding the NZ WES, although formaldehyde exceeded the TLV in 26.2% of all measurements. The AMV-TLV threshold of 1 was exceeded in 29.0% of the measurements. Levels and detection frequencies of most chemicals varied little between occupational groups, although exposure to methyl bromide was highest in the fumigators (median 43 ppb) without exceeding the TLV of 1000 ppb. Duration spent inside the container was associated with significantly higher levels of ethylene oxide, C2-alkylbenzenes, and acetaldehyde, but levels were well below the TLV/WES. Exposure levels did not differ between workers handling fumigated and non-fumigated containers. Conclusions Personal exposures of workers handling container cargo in New Zealand were mainly below current exposure standards, with formaldehyde the main contributor to overall exposure. However, as it is not clear whether working conditions of participants included in this study were representative of this industry as a whole, and not all relevant exposures were measured, we cannot exclude the possibility that high exposures may occur in some workers.
generally saw a stronger effect for squamous-and small cell lung carcinomas than for adenocarcinomas. Smoking and simultaneous exposure to other occupational exposures exerted a minor confounding effect on the risk estimates. The effect modifications with smoking tended to be supra-additive. Conclusions SYNERGY adds valuable knowledge to the field of occupational cancer epidemiology, and underlines the importance to collect data on histology, and lifelong information on occupational exposures and smoking. Objectives To derive a meta-exposure-response curve (ERC) for DEE and lung cancer mortality and estimate lifetime excess risks (ELRs) of lung cancer mortality based on assumed occupational and environmental exposure scenarios. Method We conducted a meta-regression of lung cancer mortality and cumulative exposure to elemental carbon (EC), a proxy measure of DEE, based on relative risk (RR) estimates reported by three large occupational cohort studies. Based on the derived risk function, we calculated ELRs for several lifetime occupational and environmental exposure scenarios, and also calculated the fractions of annual lung cancer deaths attributable to DEE. Results We estimated a lnRR of 0.00098 (95% CI: 0.00055, 0.0014) for lung cancer mortality with each 1-µg/m 3-year increase in cumulative EC. Estimated numbers of excess lung cancer deaths through age 80 for lifetime occupational exposures of 1, 10, and 25 µg/m 3 EC were 17, 200, and 689 per 10 000, respectively. For lifetime environmental exposure to 0.8 µg/m 3 EC, we estimated 21 excess lung cancer deaths per 10 000. Based on broad assumptions regarding past exposures we estimate that approximately 6% of annual lung cancer deaths may be due to DEE exposure. Conclusions Combined data from three US occupational cohort studies suggest that DEE at levels common in the workplace and in outdoor air appear to pose substantial excess lifetime risks of lung cancer, above usually acceptable limits in the US and Europe, which are generally set at 1/1000 and 1/100 000 based on lifetime exposure for the occupational and general population, respectively. Objectives We report on the first ever analysis of a UK cohort of workers with blood lead level measurements that was assembled in the late 1970s. 0374 0375 MORTALITY OF A COHORT OF WORKERS IN GREAT BRITAIN WITH BLOOD LEAD MEASUREMENTSMethod As an alternative to mean and maximum blood lead levels, we carried out an exposure assessment that assigned workers to high, medium or low exposure to lead. We additionally assessed whether workers would be exposed to an important level of relevant co-carcinogens.Results 3466 deaths were observed among 7770 men and 1352 women. The SMRs for all causes (109, 95% CI 105-112) and all malignant neoplasms (113,107-120) were significantly raised. SMRs for oesophageal, stomach, bladder, brain and kidney cancer and non-malignant kidney disease were not raised, but were raised for lung cancer (142,. The SMR for circulatory diseases (105,99-100) was of borderline significance. No trends were ...
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