Occupational exposure to solvents and metals and Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate associations between occupational exposure to solvents and metals and fixed airflow obstruction using post-bronchodilator spirometry. Methods: From 1,335 participants in the 2002-2008 follow-up of the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS) cohort who completed lung function testing and lifetime work history calendars. Ever exposure and cumulative-exposure-unit-years were calculated using the ALOHA+Job Exposure Matrix. Fixed AO was defined by post-bronchodilator FEV 1 / FVC<0.7 and FEV 1 /FVC<lower limit of normal. Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D L co) was combined with FEV 1 /FVC<0.7 to define fixed airflow obstruction plus low D L co. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate associations adjusting for sex, smoking, pack-years, asthma in childhood and adulthood, socioeconomic status in childhood and adulthood and co-exposures to gases/fumes and pesticides. We also investigated the effect modification by sex, smoking and asthma by including an interaction term in the regression models. Results: Ever exposure to metals was associated with fixed airflow obstruction (RR=1.71, 95% CI 1.03-2.85) and lower level of z-score FEV 1 / FVC (β=-0.17, 95% CI-0.33,-0.02). Ever exposure to solvents was not associated with fixed airflow obstruction and FEV 1 /FVC ratio. However, sex significantly modified the relationship between cumulative exposure-unit-years to chlorinated solvents and fixed airflow obstruction. We found that increasing cumulative exposure-unit-years to chlorinated solvents was associated with fixed airflow obstruction (interaction p =0.003) and fixed airflow obstruction plus low D L co (interaction p =0.04) in women but not in men. Conclusions: We have shown that ever exposure to metals and to chlorinated solvents are important risk factors for fixed airflow obstruction with the latter effect being restricted to exposed women. Our findings highlighted the need to reduce workplace exposure to chlorinated solvents and metals by improving adherence to use of recommended protective equipment, and workplace monitoring of exposure levels could be implemented. Background and Aims: Although cigarette smoking is a major risk factor of COPD, indoor and outdoor air pollution also contributes to development and exacerbation of COPD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between lung function and long-term air pollution exposure and to analyze interaction between obesity and air pollution in COPD cohort Methods: Data for 280 subjects who resided in areas near cement plants were extracted from the CODA (COPD in Dusty Area) cohort. Long-term concentrations of particulate matter (PM 10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) at subject home addresses were estimated from a previously-developed exposure prediction model based on hourly measurements of PM 10 and NO 2 at national regulatory monitoring sites. Lung function was measure by standardized methods. In order to determine the effect of obesity, the obesity group was divided...

Epidemiology and etiology of Parkinson’s disease: a review of the evidence

“…Six other case-control studies, including the large (767 cases) European multicentre study [300], observed no association between organic solvents and PD [300,308,310,313,317,393]. One case-control study found an increased risk with longer duration of exposure (OR 3.59, 95% CI 1.26-19.26 for 20-30 years of exposure versus not exposed, p for trend 0.04) although no association was observed overall [381].…”

“…Some studies assessed metal exposure overall through questionnaires without collecting information on occupational history, an approach that also captures recreational metal exposure. Of studies that examined exposure to heavy metals overall, only one reported an increased risk (OR11.84, 95% CI 1.08-130.37) [358], whereas the others found no association [293,313,381]. Another study found no association for residential proximity to steel plants [146].…”

Searching for a relationship between manganese and welding and Parkinson’s disease

“…Several studies have suggested that exposures to aluminum, copper, and lead are risk factors for PD, 10,73,74 but no such link has been found for manganese. 10,12,[74][75][76][77][78][79][80] In one study conducted in southern Quebec (Canada), involving 42 parkinsonian patients compared with a group of 84 matched controls, a slightly increased risk for PD was found to be associated with occupational exposure to manganese, iron, and aluminum, but this association did not reach statistical significance. 81 In a study of WWII Twins Cohort, involving 163 twin pairs, in which a blinded industrial hygienist estimated lifetime occupational manganese exposure intensity and duration, twins with PD were less likely to have ever been exposed to manganese than their control twin (OR ϭ 0.36) and had a shorter average duration of manganese exposure than did controls.…”

Trichloroethylene and Parkinson’s disease: dissolving the puzzle

“…Although several studies found associations with self-reported solvent exposures [17][18][19], several large methodologically rigorous studies have found no association. Indeed, the performance of tasks likely to involve solvent exposure was not associated with PD in a study using custom task-based interviews [20], or in another that included a job-exposure matrix and industrial-hygienist review to impute lifetime solvent exposures [21].…”