Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Catenacci.
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Acephate is a water-soluble organophosphate insecticide whose action on insects has been related to its conversion to methamidophos, a very potent anticholinesterase agent which has caused delayed neuropathy in man. Inhalation and skin exposure to acephate was evaluated in four workers engaged in 8-day campaigns with the formulation of the 97%-pure technical product. Before, during, and after exposure, the workers were monitored for the urine content of acephate and methamidophos, and for erythrocyte (AChE) and plasma (PChE) cholinesterase levels. Median air concentrations (8-hr TWA) ranged from 0.278 to 2.170 mg/m3; median total-body skin deposition ranged from 26.1 to 41.9 mg/day. Based on these values, daily workers' absorption of acephate was estimated to be in the order of 10-20 mg. Urinary excretion of unchanged acephate followed a pattern consistent with exposure, showing peak values of excretion during the workshift or in the eight hr after the end of the workshift. The urine levels of unchanged acephate were found to vary from 1 to 10 mg/L. Methamidophos was not detected in any urine sample (detection limit: 30 micrograms/L). High correlation (r = 0.78) was found between skin exposure level and urine acephate elimination. No changes in AChE or PChE were observed for the workers whose urinary concentrations of acephate were 1 or 2 mg/L. One subject who had urinary acephate excretion between 3 and 8 mg/L, showed slightly decreased values of PChE during exposure and of AChE after exposure.
The interlaboratory validation of analytical procedures for the assay of urinary 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) in the general Italian population is reported. The determinations were performed by high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGS) with electron capture detection and HRGS with mass spectrometry (MS) in 2 laboratories. The urine samples were from 42 participants from 3 regions of Italy. The results were evaluated by interlaboratory quality control. Urinary TCP concentrations were above the detection limit (1.2 micrograms/L) in 88% of the population, with a mean detectable concentration [GM (GSD)] of 2.8 (1.9) micrograms/g creatinine (creat). (GM, geometric mean; GSD, geometric standard deviation.) The Mann-Whitney U test showed that wine consumption was a statistically significant variable (p < 0.05) for urinary concentrations of TCP. Analysis of variance of the logarithm of urinary TCP versus wine consumption and diet showed a statistically significant fit. The model used explained 30% of the total variance: wine consumption and diet accounted for 37 and 17% respectively of the explained variance.
The paper proposes a model for health and safety organization in health care units and hospitals which takes account of the risk assessment procedures required by law and the quality assessment of the measures thus taken. A redefinition is given of the role of Medical Director and of the functions, aims and standards on which health and safety service and the services of an authorized occupational health physicians must be based.
OBJECTIVES: To determine frequency and type of respiratory and allergic symptoms in textile workers employed in early stages of wool processing. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in four wool textile mills. 202 subjects (n. 148 males, 54 females, mean age 38.9 yrs, SD 9.5) employed in early stages (combing, n. 138, carding, n. 64) of wool processing were examined and an environmental survey was carried out to determine the level of wool dust exposure. All subjects were submitted to clinical interview, spirometry and measurement of serum specific IgE (s-IgE) against extracts of two wool lots (Australia and New Zealand) by means of RAST. In the subjects with a positive questionnaire for allergic symptoms serum specific IgE for common pneumoallergens were measured (PHADIATOP test). RESULTS: We found higher air dust concentrations during carding operations (inspirable fraction-IF-: range 1.6-20 mg/m3; respirable fraction (RF): 0.5-6.9 mg/m3) and lower concentrations during combing (IF 0.3-0.7 mg/m3, RF 0.1-0.3 mg/m3). 70 out of 202 subjects (34.7%, n. 26 employed in carding and n. 44 in combing operations) reported work-related symptoms. Cutaneous itching was reported by 30 subjects, upper airway irritation by 24, ocular irritation by 17 and dyspnoea by 5. Globally 27 subjects (13.4%) had respiratory work-related symptoms. 12 subjects reported only seasonal respiratory symptoms not related to work. Within the group of 82 symptomatic subjects, 62 (75.6%) had serum specific IgE for common pneumoallergens. In the whole group (n. 202) mean basal FEV-1 was L 3.6, SD 0.9 (103.6% of predicted values). No significant difference was found in basal FEV-1 between carding and combing workers. No s-IgE against the two wool extracts was detectable in any of the 202 examined subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that in early stages of wool processing: 1) the overall frequency of respiratory work-related symptoms is low and does not seem to be related to the stages of processing, 2) symptoms are mainly nasal and/or ocular; 3) serum s-IgE against wool extracts are not detectable. We conclude that respiratory allergy risk in wool textile mills is low.
The 7th title of the legislative act "626/1994" (and the other normative indications) identifies cavcingenic agents in occupational uses, and also the protections of workers in exposure. Among these agents there are any antiblastic drugs. This is a difficult problem for a correct application of normative indications: it's no possible to replace cavcingenic agents with no cavcingenic agents, as so as it's impossible to operate on "closed cycle". The authors put the attention on the other very important normative indications: "preparations in bordered and isolated room", "minimal exposure", "severe procedures and internal normations", formal "identification of the responsibilities" in the hospital organization (also with the strictly identification of managers and foremen).
In this article the cases of occupational allergic diseases notified to 2 Occupational Health Units in Pavia in the period 1993-1998 are reported. A retrospective study was performed to obtain a descriptive analysis of the diseases. In the studied period 58 cases of occupational allergic diseases were notified. This datum probably underestimates the real occurrence of occupational diseases, because of the low accuracy of the notification system. Allergic skin diseases were more frequent (70.7%) than respiratory diseases.
Atrazine exposure was evaluated in three workers engaged in technical Atrazine dust formulating and bagging processes, by environmental and biological monitoring. We found an Atrazine concentration in breathing area of 31.2 micrograms/m3 (SD +/- 9.9); actual inhalatory absorption was 20.7 micrograms/workshift. Cutaneous amount was 6 mg per workshift and the largest fraction was found on hands. Supposing that only 3.5% of the applied was absorbed, 239.7 micrograms of Atrazine were taken up by skin per workshift. The dealkylated metabolites and parent compound excreted in urine, as a whole, accounted for 71.09% of the presumed total dose absorbed. The spectrum or the urinary Atrazine metabolites comprised bi-dealkylated (58%), deethylated (30.7%), deisopropylated (7.7%) and unmodified Atrazine (3.6%). About 31% of the amount is excreted during the workshift itself. These findings allow to evaluate the magnitude of the real doses absorbed, keeping into account the effect of protective means.