Respiratory Health at a Pulpmill in British Columbia

Da, Enarson; Johnson, Andrea C; Block, George T.; Maclean, Lonia; DyBuncio, Anne; Schragg, K; Chan‐Yeung, Moira; Grzybowski, Stefan

doi:10.1080/00039896.1984.10545858

Cited by 28 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…In a Canadian pulp mill, the incidence of asthma among workers in the production area was 4.2 compared with 0.8 per 1,000 person-yrs among railyard workers. However, this difference was not statistically significant [22]. The main exposure in that study was Cl 2 ClO 2 .…”

Section: Asthma Irritants and Gases E Andersson Et Almentioning

confidence: 82%

Incidence of asthma among workers exposed to sulphur dioxide and other irritant gases

Andersson

Knutsson²,

Hagberg³

et al. 2006

European Respiratory Journal

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The aim of the present study was to investigate whether repeated peak exposure (gassings) to sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and other irritant gases increases the risk of new-onset asthma. A questionnaire was sent to 4,112 sulphite workers, of whom 1,919 completed the questionnaire and 396 completed the short-form questionnaire, which was sent out as a last reminder. A sample of 130 nonrespondents completed a telephone interview using the short-form questionnaire.The incidence of adult-onset, physician-diagnosed asthma during employment duration was analysed in relation to exposure to SO 2 and gassings giving rise to respiratory symptoms. Incidence rates, as well as incidence rate ratios with 95% confidence interval (CI), were calculated. Further Cox regression models were used allowing assessment of hazard ratios (HR) stratified for sex and adjusted for atopy, smoking habits and age.The incidence rate for asthma among sulphite mill workers reporting gassings of SO 2 was 6.2 out of 1,000 person-yrs, compared with 1.9 out of 1,000 person-yrs among subjects unexposed to SO 2 and any gassings (HR (95% CI) 4.0 (2.1-7.7)). Among males reporting gassings to SO 2 , the HR (95% CI) for asthma was 5.8 (2.6-13) compared with unexposed males.In conclusion, repeated peak exposure to sulphur dioxide increased the incidence of asthma during work in sulphite pulp mills, which supports the hypothesis of irritant-induced asthma.

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Section: Asthma Irritants and Gases E Andersson Et Almentioning

confidence: 82%

Incidence of asthma among workers exposed to sulphur dioxide and other irritant gases

Andersson

Knutsson²,

Hagberg³

et al. 2006

European Respiratory Journal

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“…The pulpmill environment can potentially expose workers to a multitude of gases and particulates such as chlorine, chlorine dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and wood dust. Previous work from the University of British Columbia [Enarson et al, 1984;Chan-Yeung et al, 1980;Kennedy et al, 19901 and by others [Skalpe 1964;Henneberger et al, 1989;Ferris et al, 1967, 19791 have given conflicting results concerning the effects of these exposures on respiratory symptoms and 72 Salisbury et al…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First‐aid reports of acute chlorine gassing among pulpmill workers as predictors of lung health consequences

Salisbury

Enarson

Chan‐Yeung

et al. 1991

American J Industrial Med

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Workers in pulpmills can be exposed to a multitude of gases hazardous to respiratory function, the most common of which is chlorine gas. First-aid reports of acute gas overexposure incidents ("gassings") over an 8 year period were used to generate exposure data on a group of pulpmill workers whose respiratory function had been studied cross-sectionally in 1981 and 1988. Three hundred forty-eight incidents representing 174 workers were identified, 78% of these being treated solely by the first-aid attendant with the administration of O2 and cough suppression medication. Among 316 workers tested during a 1988 respiratory health survey, 78 had at least one chlorine or chlorine dioxide "gassing" incident. There was a significant decrease in the FEV1/FVC ratio (p less than .05) as well as increased risk for workplace associated chest symptoms in this group with at least one "gassing" incident. In an age- and smoking-matched analysis, among workers tested both in 1981 and 1988, there was a greater decline in FEV2/FVC ratio and MMF (p less than .05) in the "gassed" group than in the nonexposed group over the 7 year period of observation. These results emphasize the need for worker protection against accidental chlorine gas exposures.

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“…Concentrations of sulfur compounds emitted from the pulping processes [7±10, 14,16,18,28,30] and of chlorine compounds used in the bleaching of pulp [3,4,7,8,16,18] have been reported. Organochlorine compounds have also been identi®ed, usually in trace amounts, in the treatment of spent liquors in kraft pulp mills [6,25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

International data base of exposure measurements in the pulp, paper and paper product industries

Kauppinen

Teschke

Savela

et al. 1997

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

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An international data base of exposure measurements in the pulp, paper and paper product industries was constructed to be used in exposure assessment for epidemiology studies and hazard control. Industrial hygiene and biological monitoring data were collected from countries participating in the multicentric study of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Each measurement was characterized by country, mill type and number, department, job, agent measured, sampling method, measurement result in the standard unit, duration and date of sampling, assessment of representativeness, measurer, purpose of measurements, and remarks (e.g. on measurement sites and biases). Over 31,000 measurement results on 246 different chemical agents from 13 countries were available from pulp (45% of measurements), paper/paperboard/recycling (12%) and paper product (11%) mills or from their non-production departments (23%). Most measurements (82%) were carried out after 1980. The most frequently measured group of agents was inorganic gases (35%), followed by organic compounds (25%), solvents (18%), mineral dusts (12%), metals (6%) and bioaerosols (3%). Over 90% of the measurements were without an obvious bias, but their true representativeness is difficult to assess. Concentrations of various agents, including sulfur dioxide, chlorine dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, ammonia, formaldehyde and some solvents, often exceeded current occupational exposure limits. This data base summarizes a great deal of previously unpublished exposure data, provides a unique opportunity to study exposure patterns at the international level and identifies exposure situations that require further attention and investigation.

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Respiratory Health at a Pulpmill in British Columbia

Cited by 28 publications

References 1 publication

Incidence of asthma among workers exposed to sulphur dioxide and other irritant gases

Incidence of asthma among workers exposed to sulphur dioxide and other irritant gases

First‐aid reports of acute chlorine gassing among pulpmill workers as predictors of lung health consequences

International data base of exposure measurements in the pulp, paper and paper product industries

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