A study of humoral and cellular responsiveness in a population occupationally exposed to beryllium

Summary The present study of 30 healthy industrial workers having occupational contact with beryllium has revealed specific humoral responses to beryllium in 37% of the investigated group. Antitissue antibodies to lung and to thymus were found in 30% and to suprarenals in 27% of the subjects examined. A tendency to an increased level of IgG and IgA and some deficiency of IgM was observed. The cellular immunity examinations showed positive skin reactions to beryllium salts in 19% and specific blast transformation of PBL in 4% of the persons investigated.The results of determinations of humoral and cellular reactivity were not correlated. The afore-mentioned tests are useful in estimating the type and degree of hypersensitivity to beryllium, indicating the necessity of carrying out a long-term study on the population to evaluate their prognostic value.     

Behaviour of plasma and urinary aluminium levels in occupationally exposed subjects

Summary Aluminium in urine (A1U) and in plasma (AlP) was determined in seven subjects occupationally exposed to environmental concentrations of aluminium below or equal to the TWA (5 mg/m³). The AlU levels in these workers were markedly higher than those found in the control group. The levels of the indicator were definitely higher at the end of the shift than at the beginning of the same working day; also, the AlU levels were higher on Friday morning than on Monday morning. After an interruption in work of two weeks, the values of the indicator underwent a marked reduction and were then only slightly higher than those of the control group. Occupational exposure to fumes produced higher AlU levels than exposure to dusts, and in the subjects exposed to fumes the AlU levels were clearly influenced by the degree of exposure. The levels of aluminium in plasma in the exposed workers on the other hand, hardly differed from the levels found in the control group. These data appear to indicate that, whereas AlU allows daily and weekly exposure to be evaluated, AlP cannot be used as an indicator of occupational exposure, at least in the case of brief exposures to environmental concentrations below or equal to the TWA.     

The evaluation of urine and hair total mercury content in occupationally exposed and non-exposed people

The study aimed at the evaluation of total mercury content in hair and urine of the workers occupationally exposed to various levels of mercury vapours. The hair and urine were taken from the workers employed in Chemical Plant O?wiecim and from thermometer factory in Warsaw. The urine and hair of non-exposed Warsaw inhabitants served as a reference. Mercury levels in hair and urine were determined with atomic absorption spectrometry. The highest mercury concentration in hair (range 1.13-325.16 micrograms/g) and urine (range 15.7-800 ng/mg of creatinine) of workers employed in processing chloroalkali in Chemical Plant O?wiecim. The results also suggest that the average mercury concentration in hair (0.17 and 1.0 microgram/g) and urine (0.4 and 2.36 ng/mg of creatinine) of non-occupationally exposed inhabitants from Warsaw and O?wiecim does not endanger human population. Nevertheless a positive correlation between distance from chloroalkali plant in O?wiecim and mercury content in the specimens from inhabitants has been observed.     

A cytogenetic study of men occupationally exposed to uranium

Blood lymphocyte cultures from two groups of workers occupationally exposed to uranium were examined for asymmetrical chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs). Significant increases in both cytogenetic endpoints were seen. For dicentrics this appeared to be particularly associated with exposure to soluble uranium. The external radiation exposure experienced by these men was insufficient to explain the increase in dicentrics, and irradiation of lymphocytes by internally deposited uranium would have been minimal. As the SCEs were also raised, the genotoxic effect is likely to be due to the chemical nature of the compound. The increase in frequency of dicentrics associated with smoking was greatest in the group with exposure to soluble uranium suggesting some interaction between the two clastogens. No such interactive effect was seen for SCE frequencies, in which increases attributable to smoking were similar in the worker and control groups.     

A clinical and immunological study on 92 workers occupationally exposed to anhydrides

This study aimed at investigating sensitizing and hazardous effects of a new acid anhydride, pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), in addition to those of phthalic anhydride, maleic anhydride and trimellitic anhydride, in a group of 92 exposed workers in two German chemical plants. Of the 92 workers, 56 reported work-related complaints with a predominance of phlegm and dyspnoea in those exposed to anhydride dust for less than 1 year. Haemorrhagic rhinitis occurred only after a prolonged exposure of more than 15 years. Specific IgE antibodies to anhydride-HSA conjugates could be detected in 15 exposed subjects, 12 of whom had work-related symptoms. The IgE-positive group had significantly more impaired lung function parameters than the IgE-negative group. The proportion of IgE-positive subjects was highest in the groups with dyspnoea (5/18), cough (6/24) and rhinitis (11/44) whereas only 1 of 11 workers with haemorrhagic rhinitis had such antibodies. A follow-up study of 23 affected workers was performed after 10 months to assess clinical symptoms, lung function and IgE antibody levels. This follow-up study showed the absence of obstructive ventilation patterns in three out of six subjects in addition to cessation of symptoms in most initially affected workers who were no longer exposed. On the other hand, 14 workers under continuous exposure had comparable pathological findings on re-examination. Our results confirm that anhydrides including the lesser known PMDA, behave as respiratory irritants and as immediate-type sensitizers. They predominantly induced reversible symptoms in workers whose exposure stopped after a working period of about 0.7 years. Abnormal lung function parameters normalized in nearly 50% of these subjects.     

A cytogenetic study of men occupationally exposed to uranium.

Blood lymphocyte cultures from two groups of workers occupationally exposed to uranium were examined for asymmetrical chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs). Significant increases in both cytogenetic endpoints were seen. For dicentrics this appeared to be particularly associated with exposure to soluble uranium. The external radiation exposure experienced by these men was insufficient to explain the increase in dicentrics, and irradiation of lymphocytes by internally deposited uranium would have been minimal. As the SCEs were also raised, the genotoxic effect is likely to be due to the chemical nature of the compound. The increase in frequency of dicentrics associated with smoking was greatest in the group with exposure to soluble uranium suggesting some interaction between the two clastogens. No such interactive effect was seen for SCE frequencies, in which increases attributable to smoking were similar in the worker and control groups.     

噪声作业工人听力损伤与血压和高血压的相关性研究

目的 探讨噪声与血压、高血压的相关性及其年龄别特点.方法 结合职业健康检查对157家工厂14 537名噪声作业工人纯音听力和血压进行检测,以听力损伤作为累计噪声暴露量的替代指标,经年龄和性别分层后,分析听力损伤、接噪工龄与血压和高血压的相关性.结果 调查对象以男性为主(占81.2％),多数在35岁以下(占77.8％),从事噪声作业不足5年(占73.6％).听力异常率男性高于女性,且随年龄和接噪工龄的增加而增加;仅在男性＜35岁组发现,感音性聋者收缩压和舒张压明显升高,其中舒张压和高血压现患率均随接噪工龄的增加而增加;男性感音性聋者高血压患病风险显著增加,＜35岁组和≥35岁组OR分别为3.0(95％CI:1.5～6.1)和2.1( 95％CI:1.2～3.4).结论 噪声致严重听力损伤与高血压有关,建议重点关注噪声对年轻作业者高血压的影响.     

职业接触苯工人尿中黏糠酸测定方法与生物限值研究

目的推荐我国职业接触苯尿中反-反式黏糠酸（uMA）生物限值并建立相应的高效液相色谱（HPLC）测定方法。方法选择职业苯接触者56人和非苯接触者24人，应用活性炭吸附管采集工人呼吸带空气、CS2洗脱、毛细管气相色谱法检测个体外暴露水平，同时采集当日工作班前和班末尿样本，应用HPLC测定尿中uMA以观察内暴露水平。尿样经2mol／L盐酸酸化、香草酸为内标、乙酸乙酯萃取预处理，采用ODS柱、冰乙酸：四氢呋喃：甲醇：水（体积比1：2：10：87）为流动相、流速0．9ml／min、紫外检验波长264nm、柱温25℃的色谱条件分离测定尿中uMA。结果uMA的线性范围为0．10～10．00mg／L，检出限为0．10mg／L，加标平均回收率为95．1％～100．5％，批内、批间精密度变异系数分别为4．4％～7．5％和6．2％～8．8％。接苯工人空气苯浓度范围0．332～146．000mg／m^3，平均浓度41．8mg／m^3，班末尿uMA与个体苯接触量存在良好线性关系y（mg／gCr）=2．103＋0．177x（mg／m^3），r=0．791，P〈0．01，将我国职业苯接触限值PC—TWA=6mg／m^3代入回归方程，推算工作班末尿中uMA含量为3．165mg／gCr。结论建立的HPLC测定uMA方法简便、快速、灵敏，可用于职业接触苯的生物监测，参考国内外文献和国外相关标准，建议我国职业接触苯生物限值班末尿uMA为2．4mmol／molCr（3．0mg／gCr）。