Pulmonary X-ray and functional findings in electric-arc welders

Abstract

37 arc welders were examined; 23 of them had worked for part of the time inside closed cisterns under some of the most hazardous working conditions in Prague where MAC for inert dust was greatly exceeded. Radiographic pulmonary alterations were found in 30 of the subjects. These findings mostly belonged to category i, type s, t, p (according to ILO classification, 1971); only 4 welders from the high-risk group had developed nodulation type m, n, category 2 after an average of 25 years of welding.Statistical comparison of 22 arc welders displaying positive X-ray findings but without chronic bronchitis with a control group of 20 persons of comparable age who were normal in a cardiopulmonary respect revealed no significant differences in lung function.