摘要:

AbstractTransport of Hazards from the workplace to the home by workers is a previously recognized but poorly addressed public health problem. Particularly disturbing are the childhood intoxications which may result from such paraoccupational exposure. Work clothes and shoes appear to be a common vehicle for hazard transport in recently reported cases as they were in the past, although other “markers” for potential paraoccupational exposure may be derived from case reviews. These include: poor workplace hygiene, occupational intoxications in adult workers, and the “cottage industry” phenomenon. These markers are reviewed in the context of recently reported cases and strategies are suggested to mitigate these easily preventable exposures. © 1993 Wiley

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700240102

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractHealth care workers may be occupationally exposed to known and suspected teratogens including viruses, anesthetic gases, sterilants, mercury, and x‐radiation. To assess the risk of congenital defects among offspring of health care workers, we analyzed parental occupational histories for 4,915 case babies with congenital defects, registered during the years 1968–1980 by the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP) registry, and for 3,027 control babies born without defects during the same period. Offspring of mothers employed in a nursing occupation during the periconceptional period had a modest excess risk of having at least one congenital defect (relative risk [RR] = 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]1.06–1.88); the offspring were at statistically significant increased risk of having anencephaly or spina bifida (RR = 2.00; 95% CI 1.01–4.30), coarctation of the aorta (RR = 2.06; 95% CI 1.10–3.82), genital system defects (RR = 1.61; 95% CI 1.03–2.53), and urinary system defects (RR = 3.43; 95% CI 1.41–8.34). These associations were not confounded by maternal age, education, or alcohol consumption. Offspring of mothers employed in administrative or clerical jobs in the health care industry also had a modest excess risk of defects (RR = 1.35; 95% CI 0.96–1.90), including a statistically significant excess risk of limb defects. We also found associations between neural tube defects and potential exposure to anesthetic gases and to x‐radiation, but each association was based on only three case babies of potentially exposed parents. We found no associations between defects and paternal health care employment, except for a few individual defects, and these were based on small numbers of exposed subjects. Only one of five previous studies reviewed found an increased risk of congenital defects among offspring of nurses, but three of the four negative studies had substantially smaller sample sizes than the present study. Detection bias may be a possible explanation for the apparent excess risk of certain defects among offspring of nurses. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the Unit

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700240103

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractOccupational and industrial hazards are unevenly distributed in the workplace. National estimates for selected health indices of persons aged 17 years and over in the civilian noninstitutionalized population are presented for categories of longest held occupation and industry of employment. These estimates were based on data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in the 1980 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the Occupational Supplement, the first survey to collect data on longest held, in addition to current, occupation and industry of employment. Data on length of longest held job, limitation of activity, disability days, incidence of acute conditions, persons injured, hospitalizations, and utilization of medical and dental services are presented. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, I

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700240104

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThis longitudinal epidemiologic study was designed to investigate hearing loss over a 5‐year period among noise‐exposed employees of a large automobile company and to assess effectiveness of hearing conservation programs at locations representing the spectrum of operations (assembly, light manufacturing, heavy manufacturing and machining, metal fabrication, and founding). Based on computerized audiometric test data, the study summarizes methodology developed for measuring occupational hearing loss and its application in evaluating programs at these locations, which had maximal 8‐hr time‐weighted average (TWA) noise exposures ranging from 104 to 110 dB(A). Methods presented here provide for consideration of age and hearing level of study subjects at baseline audiogram and clearly demonstrate the extent of hearing loss during the study period. Among five study locations, the average hearing loss at 2,000–4,000 Hz in the worst‐loss ear ranged from 3.4 to 6.2 dB over the follow‐up period; after adjustment for presbycusis, the loss was less than 2 dB at all but one location, which showed a loss of nearly 4 dB. In comparison to a control group of nonnoise‐exposed employees, hearing conservation programs at four of the five locations were judged to be effective. One location, a metal fabrication plant with a large percentage of employees having an 8‐hr TWA noise exposure over 90 dB(A), was particularly noted for the effectiveness of its program. © 19

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700240105

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractA quantitative retrospective exposure assessment method was developed for use in a nested case‐control study of lung cancer among mine and pottery workers exposed to silica dust in the People's Republic of China. Exposure assessment was carried out in 20 mines (10 tungsten, 6 iron/copper, and 4 tin) and nine pottery factories. A job title dictionary was developed and used in both the collection of historical exposure information and work histories of 1,668 (316 cases and 1,352 controls) study subjects. Several data abstraction forms were developed to collect historical and current exposure information and employees' work histories, starting in 1950. A retrospective exposure matrix was developed on the basis of facility/job title/calendar year combinations using available historical exposure information and current exposure profiles. Information on the amount of respirable, thoracic, and free silica content in total dust was used in estimating exposure to silica. Starting in 1950, 6,805 historical estimates had been carried out for 14 calendar‐year periods. We estimated the average total dust concentration to be 9 mg/M3, with a range from 28 mg/M3in earlier years to 3 mg/M3in recent years. Several exposure indices [such as cumulative dust, average dust, cumulative respirable (<5 μ in particle size) and thoracic (<10 μ in particle size) silica dust, average respirable and thoracic silica dust, exposure‐weighted duration, and the highest/longest exposure] were calculated for individuals by merging work history and historical exposure matrix for each study subject. We developed these various measures of exposure to allow investigators to compare and contrast different indices of historical exposure to silica. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700240106

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractLifetime occupational histories were obtained in a case‐control study of 965 female lung cancer patients and 959 controls selected from the general population in Shenyang and Harbin, People's Republic of China, where most women have worked outside the home. After adjusting for smoking, we found a significantly increased risk of lung cancer associated with employment involving the manufacture of transportation equipment (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.0, 2.6), in particular the manufacturing of automobiles (OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.4, 6.4). Metal smelting and treatment workers were at an increased risk of lung cancer (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0, 2.1); the highest risks were observed among metal surfacers (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.1, 9.0) and currently employed foundry workers (OR = 13.0, 95% CI = 1.7, 99.4). On the other hand, about a 50% decreased risk of lung cancer was observed among those employed in textile industries or as leaders of state and party organizations. Based on self‐reports, exposures to coal dust and smoke from burning fuel at the workplace were also significant risk factors. The findings were similar when the analyses were confined to nonsmokers and were comparable across the major cell types of lung cancer. © 1993 Wiley‐Lis

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700240107

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractDuring 1968 to 1985, 109 workers who had been engaged in the production of pentachlorophenol, using non‐gamma isomers of hexachloroclohexane (BHC) as the raw material, were surveyed. Endemic chloracne among them had been noted since 1974. The prevalence of chloracne was 73.4% (80/109) in total and 95.2% (20/21) in a trichlorobenzene (TCB) tank area where dioxin and dibenzofurans levels were thousands of ppm. To our knowledge, PCDDs and PCDFs have not previously been reported from thermal decomposition of BHC.Urinary porphyrins were significantly higher among exposed workers than among the controls but there was no significant difference between the workers with chloracne and those without. The conduction velocities of the median motor nerves were much slower among the workers in the TCB tank area where the highest PCDDs contamination appeared.The mortality study cohort was relatively young. Based on the three deaths observed during the follow‐up, no association could be drawn. © 1993 Wiley‐Lis

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700240108

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractUsing occupational data for over 3,400 primary liver cancer cases diagnosed between 1980 and 1984 reported to the Shanghai Cancer Registry, and employment information from the 1982 census for the Shanghai population, standardized incidence ratios were computed to generate leads to occupational risks of liver cancer. Among men, a statistically significant excess number of cases was observed for chemical processors, textile workers, wood workers, blacksmiths and machine‐tool operators, and material handlers and dock workers. Increased incidence of liver cancer also was observed among female transport equipment operators. These findings indicate that a number of similar occupations are associated with increased risk of primary liver cancer in western countries and China. Although causal inferences cannot be drawn from these data, our study adds to the limited evidence of the potential role of occupational exposures in liver carcinogenesis. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of Ame

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700240109

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractGlycol ethers (including glycol ether esters) are a group of solvents with medium‐high boiling points and low evaporation rates, possessing solvent characteristics of alcohol/ether functions (or ether/ester functions). They have been widely used in coatings and other industrial products for more than half a century. Recently, E‐series glycol ethers have been found to show reproductive and teratogenic toxicity, and throughout much of the world they are being replaced by the so‐called P‐series glycol ethers.In responding to the impact of the worldwide transition from E‐ to P‐series glycol ethers, the current status of glycol ether use in Taiwan was studied. This study focuses on the type and quantity of these solvents being used, worker and public knowledge about their hazards, and possible changes in government regulations being considered.In this study, we found that large quantities of E‐series glycol ethers were imported and used in Taiwan. The best estimates are: 2‐ME, 2,500 tons; 2‐EE, 1,200 tons; 2‐EEA, 5,000–8,000 tons; 2‐BE, 8,000 tons annually in 1991. For P‐series glycol ethers, only about 2,500 tons are being used. Lack of knowledge about the potential toxic effects of the E‐series glycol ethers is very common among users, regulatory agencies, academic institutes, and the general public. It is hoped that the results of this study, along with educational efforts, government regulations, and provision of technical services, will help prevent Taiwan from becoming a dumping site for these toxic chemic

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700240110

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractA statement by some 68 prominent national experts in industrial medicine, carcinogenesis, epidemiology, and public health, released at a February 4, 1992 press conference in Washington, D.C., charged that the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has confused the public by repeated claims of winning the war against cancer. In fact, age standardized incidence rates have increased sharply over recent decades, while ability to treat and cure most cancers has not materially improved. Furthermore, the NCI has minimized evidence for increasing cancer rates which are largely attributed to smoking and to diet. In so doing, NCI trivializes the importance of occupational carcinogens as non‐smoking‐attributable causes of lung and other cancers, and ignores the tenuous and inconsistent evidence for the causal role of diet per se and also the important role of carcinogenic dietary contaminants. Reflecting this near exclusionary blame‐the‐victim theory of cancer causation, with support from the American Cancer Society and industry, the NCI discounts the role of avoidable involuntary exposures to industrial carcinogens in air, water, food, the home, and the workplace. The NCI has also failed to provide scientific guidance to Congress and regulatory agencies on fundamental principles of carcinogenesis and epidemiology, and on the critical need to reduce avoidable exposures to environmental and occupational carcinogens. Contrary to NCI, analysis of their $2 billion budget reveals very limited allocations for research on primary cancer prevention, and for occupational cancer which receives only $19 million annually, 1% of NCI's total budget. Problems of professional mindsets in NCI leadership—fixation on diagnosis, treatment, and basic research (much of questionable relevance) and the neglect of cancer prevention—are exemplified by the composition of the Executive President's Cancer Panel and the National Cancer Advisory Board. Contrary to the explicit mandate of the National Cancer Act, the Board is virtually devoid of recognized authorities in occupational and environmental carcinogenesis. These problems are further compounded by institutionalized conflicts of interest reflected in the composition of past Cancer Panels, and of the current Board of Overseers of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NCI's prototype comprehensive cancer center, with their closely interlocking financial interests with the cancer drug and other industries. Comprehensive reforms of NCI policies and priorities are overdue. Implementation of such reforms is, however, unlikely in the absence of further support from industrial medicine professionals, which is here solicited, besides action by Congress and concerned citizen groups. © 1993 Wil

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700240111

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1993

数据来源: WILEY