Biomedical subjects

D Enarson

Publications and source records attributed to D Enarson.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Epidemiologic health study of workers in an aluminum smelter in Kitimat, B.C. II. Effects on musculoskeletal and other systems.

A health study was carried out on 2066 workers in an aluminum smelter in Kitimat, British Columbia to study the effects of exposure to fluoride and other air contaminants encountered on the potlines on the musculoskeletal system, hemopoietic tissue, liver, and renal function. Three hundred seventy-two railway repair workers from Squamish, British Columbia served as an "external" control group. Examination of the spine and sacroiliac joints and pelvic X-ray were conducted on long-term potline workers and a number of "internal" control workers in the smelter not exposed to any air contaminants. Urinary fluoride measurements and personal sampling for airborne fluoride were also carried out. Blood samples were collected for routine blood count and liver and renal function test. Definite cases of skeletal fluorosis were not found in any potroom workers. Some of the changes of early skeletal fluorosis described on pelvic X-rays, e.g., increased density, calcification of ligaments, and periosteal changes, were found in a few workers who were employed on the potlines for more than 10 yr. There was, however, poor agreement in the findings of the two radiologists who read the films. The entity "musculoskeletal fluorosis" does not exist in this smelter where the potroom workers were exposed to total fluoride levels below the currently accepted threshold limit value of 2.5 mg/m3. No ill effects on the hematopoietic tissue or liver and renal function were found.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Immediate skin reactivity and its relationship to age, sex, smoking, and occupational exposure.

To evaluate potential predictors of atopy, 3353 workers from various occupations were classified according to airborne exposures into three groups: (1) 1213 control workers with no measurable exposures, (2) 815 workers with gas and fume exposure, and (3) 1325 workers with organic dust exposure. Atopic status was determined by prick skin testing with common allergens. Workers exposed to organic dusts had a lower prevalence of skin test reactivity than either controls or gas- and fume-exposed workers. Skin test reactivity also decreased with age and was higher in nonwhite workers compared to white workers. No difference in skin test reactivity was seen between female and male workers, nor between smoking and nonsmoking workers. A logistic regression analysis that controlled for the correlation between the predictive factors confirmed the results of the crude analyses. It is suggested that atopic workers exposed to organic dusts might selectively leave the industry.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Symptoms and pulmonary function in western red cedar workers related to duration of employment and dust exposure.

Measurements of total dust concentration were made in a western red cedar sawmill that employed 701 workers. Both area sampling and personal sampling of total dust were done over an 8-hr shift corresponding to job descriptions and locations to assign each worker an exposure level. A total of 652 (93%) of the workers completed a respiratory-occupational questionnaire and performed spirometry, of whom 334 were assigned an exposure level. Dust exposure ranged from undetectable to 6.0 mg/m3 with a median exposure level of 0.2 mg/m3. Only 10% of the workers with an assigned exposure level were exposed to more than 1.0 mg/m3. Work-related asthma, defined as symptoms of asthma which improved on days off work, was reported by 52 workers (8.0%) and was more prevalent after 10 or more yr of employment. Chronic cough, dyspnea, persistent wheeze, and physician-diagnosed asthma were unrelated to either work duration or exposure. Levels of forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1.0) were lower with dust concentrations greater than 2.0 mg/m3, controlling for age and smoking; maximum mid-expiratory flow rate (FEF25-75%) and FEV1.0/FVC were unrelated to dust exposure concentration. Work-related symptoms of eye irritation were seen more commonly with exposure to dust concentrations of 3.0 mg/m3 or more. It is concluded that symptoms of work-related asthma in red cedar workers are more common after 10 yr of exposure, and that levels of pulmonary function are lower with higher wood dust exposures.

Adult↗