Abstract
Exposures to respiratory irritants encountered in aluminum smelters in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand have been suggested as the cause of “potroom asthma.” However, there remains disagreement in North America regarding the existence of this entity. This study was designed to assess whether asthma occurs excessively among potroom workers and if so, delineate dose-response relationships for possible causal risk factors. The asthma incidence ratio between potroom and nonpotroom workers after adjusting for smoking was 1.40. Although bivariate analyses showed a relationship between asthma incidence and exposure to total fluoride, gaseous fluoride, particulate fluoride, sulfur dioxide, and smoking, only the effects of gaseous fluoride (relative risk [RR] = 5.1) and smoking (RR = 7.7) remained significant in a multivariate model. Potroom asthma appears to occur at the studied U.S. aluminum smelters at doses within regulatory guidelines.
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The effect of antioxidative vitamins A and E and coenzyme Q on the morphological picture of the lungs and pancreata of rats intoxicated with sodium fluoride
Fluorides, when taken in amounts exceeding the standard therapeutic dosage, are regarded as toxic substances. Recent studies show that fluorides may affect the oxidoreductive processes of cells. The aim of the following study is to investigate the effect of antioxidative vitamins A and E and coenzyme Q on the morphological
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Respiratory symptoms and lung-function changes with exposure to five substances in aluminium smelters
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether exposure to five different occupational substances contributes to respiratory symptoms in aluminium smelter workers. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 1,615 male employees of two Australian aluminium smelters was conducted in 1995. Subjects underwent spirometry and were asked about respiratory symptoms and the relationship of those symptoms to
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[Hydrofluoric acid injury analysis on the health of workers].
Objective: To analyze the damage caused by hydrofluoric acid to the health of operating workers and to explore health monitoring indicators. Method: Occupational health examinations were carried out on 536 hydrofluoric acid operating workers from the etching process at a certain factory, and 256 persons in the control group. Results: Among the
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Extended follow-up of cancer incidence in fluoride-exposed workers
Workers at the cryolite mill in Copenhagen, Denmark, are unique because of their exposure to high levels of fluoride dust and their virtual lack of exposure to other occupational toxicants or carcinogens (1,2). We previously reported the cancer morbidity from 1943 through 1987 for 422 male cryolite workers employed for
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Health effects of occupational exposure to fluorine and its compounds in a small-scale enterprise
A 7-yr study was conducted to evaluate the respiratory effects of fluorine compounds on exposed workers in a small-scale enamel enterprise. Air monitoring was done and 75 pairs, exposed and non-exposed workers were examined. The applied tests were: an epidemiological questionnaire, the bronchitis record, clinical examinations and urinary fluorine. Linear
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Respiratory Risks from Occupational Fluoride Exposure
Starting in the 1930s, scientists have observed that workers exposed to airborne fluorides suffer from an elevated rate of respiratory disorders. For over 50 years, however, US government and industry scientists made repeated assurances that the allowable level of fluoride dusts and gases in industrial workplaces would not cause any
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Fluoride Enhances Toxicity of Beryllium
Occupational exposure to beryllium is well-documented to put workers' health at risk. The two principal targets of beryllium poisoning are the respiratory system and the skin. Of all beryllium compounds, beryllium fluoride complexes (including beryllium fluoride and beryllium oxyfluoride) appear to be the most toxic. As shown below, studies dating back
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