Abstract
This paper reports a longitudinal study carried out between 1977 and 1989 to determine whether the long-term rate of change in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) is influenced by exposure to the pot room environment of an aluminum smelter. Workers with diagnosed asthma were excluded from the analysis. The study population consisted of 393 pot room workers, with rate of change in FEV1 used to assess any impairment in airway function. Post-shift urinary fluoride levels and length of service were used to measure exposure. Meter allowing for age, smoking behavior, and a standardized measure of FEV1, the rate of change in FEV1 was found to be significantly greater for those workers who had worked shorter times in the potroom. Possible explanations for this finding include unrecognized asthma, a healthy-worker effect, and an exposure effect that occurs early in a worker’s experience in the pot room; these explanations are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Apart from the risk, of occupational asthma, there does not appear to be any long-term effect on the rate of decline in FEV1 associated with exposure to the potroom environment in workers who remain at work longer than 40 months.
*Article online at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/oeh.1997.3.1.13
References
1.Field GB, Smith MM, Alcoa of Australia, Ltd., Port Henry, Aus-traliA. Pulmonary function in aluminum smelters. III. Unpub-lished report, 1973. [Google Scholar]
2.Wergeland E, Waage JE. Respiratory dysfunction after potroom asthma. Am J Ind Med. 1987; 11: 627–36. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
3.O’Donnell TV. Asthma and respiratory problems-a review. Sci Total Environ. 1995; 163: 137–45. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
4.Oliphant RC, Sharpe K, Smith MM, et al., Alcoa of Australia, Ltd., Port Henry, Australia. A longitudinal study of lung function in potroom workers. Unpublished report, 1993. [Google Scholar]
5.Peat JK, Woolcock AJ, Cullen K. Rate of decline of lung function in subjects with asthma Eur J Respir Dis. 1987; 70: 171–9. [Google Scholar]
6.Ulrick CS, Lange P. Decline of lung function in adults with bronchial asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1994; 150: 629–34. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
7.Field GB. In Weill H, Turner-Warwick M (eds): Lung Biology in Health and Disease, Vol. 18. Occupational Lung Diseases. Re-search Approaches and Methods. New York: Dekker, 1981: 405-25. [Google Scholar]
8.Jarrett RG, Sharpe K, Department of Statistics, University of Mel-bourne, Melbourne, Australia. Statistical issues arising out of a longitudinal study of workers in an aluminum smelter. Unpub-lished report, 1995. [Available on request to Ken Sharpe.] [Google Scholar]
9.American Thoracic Society. Standardization of spirometry. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1979; 119: 831–8. [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
10.Fletcher C, Peto R, Tinker C, Speizer FE. The Natural History of Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema. London, U.K.: Oxford Uni-versity Press, 1976. [Google Scholar]
11.Burrows B, Lebowitz MD, Camilli AE, Knudson RJ. Longitudinal changes in forced expiratory volume in one second in adults. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1986; 133: 974–80. [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
12.Zejda JE, Pahwa P, Dosman JA. Decline in spirometric variables in grain workers from start of employment: different effect of dura-tion of follow up. Br J Ind Med. 1992; 49: 576–80. [PubMed], [Google Scholar]
13.Camilli AE, Burrows B, Knudson RJ, Lyle SK, Lebowitz MD. Lon-gitudinal changes in forced expiratory volume in one second in adults–effects of smoking and smoking cessation. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987; 135: 794–9. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
14.Bossé RD, Sparrow C, Rose L, Weiss ST. Longitudinal effect of age and smoking cessation on pulmonary function. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1981; 123: 378–81. [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
15.Kongerud J, Gronnesby JK, Magnus P. Respiratory symptoms and lung function of aluminum potroom workers. Scand J Work En-viron Health. 1990; 16: 270–7. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
16.Diem JE, Jones RN, Hendrick DJ, et al. Five year longitudinal study of workers employed in a new toluene diisocyanate manu-facturing plant. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982; 128: 420–8. [Google Scholar]
17.Chan-Yeung M, Enarson DA, MacLean L. Longitudinal study of workers in an aluminum smelter. Arch Environ Health. 1989; 44: 134–9. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Google Scholar]
18.Tager IB, Segal MR Speizer FR Weiss ST. The natural history of forced expiratory volumes. Am Rev Respir Dis, 1988; 138: 837–49. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
Print 
PDF-
-
Environmental Fluoride 1977 by Rose & Marier
The Associate Committee on Scientific Criteria for Environmental Quality was established by the National Research Council of Canada in response to a mandate provided by the Federal Government to develop scientific guidelines for defining the quality of the environment. The concern of the NRC Associate Committee is strictly with scientific
-
Prevention of bony fluorosis in aluminum smelter workers. A 15-year retrospective study of fluoride excretion and bony radiopacity among aluminum smelter workers -- Pt. 4
1. Fifty six aluminum smelter workers with 10 to 43 years' occupational exposure, and who had been previously studied medically, were re-x-rayed. Average urinary fluoride concentrations since 1960 were estimated to range from 2.78 mg/liter preshift and 7.71 mg/liter postshift. 2. Roentgenographic studies in 1960-66 and 1974 failed to reveal
-
Biochemistry of Fluorosis X - Comparative Study of the Fluoride Levels in Biological Fluids.
The fluoride content of drinking water is directly correlated with the serum and saliva fluoride. Serum fluoride levels are also directly related to those of saliva, but not to urinary fluoride. These interrelations are so close that a mathematical formula can be devised for the calculation of fluoride in body fluids.
-
Maternal fluoride exposure, fertility and birth outcomes: The MIREC cohort.
Abstract Objective : Fluoride exposure >1.5 mg/L from water has been associated with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Little is known, however, about the effect of fluoride at levels consistent with water fluoridation (i.e., 0.7 mg/L) on pregnancy and birth outcomes. We examined the relationship between maternal fluoride exposure, fertility, and birth
-
Early diagnosis and classification of professional fluorosis
On the basis of evaluating the clinical course and supplementary method of examination carried out in 132 patients suffering of professional fluorosis and in 200 workers in the premorbid state the author proposes criteria of early diagnosis. Considering Zislin's classification of professional fluorosis, literature data and own findings the author
Related Studies :
-
-
-
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
-
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
Related FAN Content :
-