ABSTRACT
The objective of this study were to evaluate a correlation between airborne benzene concentrations and urinary muconic acid and to evaluate that between airborne benzene concentrations and urinary phenol concentrations. The high performance chromatographic method was used to measure the muconic acid concentrations in urine samples collected from 69 workers exposed to benzene and 155 non-exposed workers. The time weighted average benzene concentrations in breathing zone of workers were also determined. The physical examination and blood counts (hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell, and white blood cell) were made for both workers exposed to benzene and control group. The results are as follows; 1. The geometric mean of airborne benzene concentrations for all workers was 2.0ppm (0.1-56.9ppm). The mean airborne benzene concentration of workers in adhesive tape manufacturing industry was 12.2ppm (8.3-56.9ppm), which was the highest by type of industry. 2. The geometric mean concentration of muconic acid in urine from male workers exposed to benzene was 3.9 mg/l (0.8-40.8 mg/l), which was significantly higher than that of non-exposed workers. The highest muconic acid concentration was indicated in the workers at the adhesive tape manufacturing industry. 3. There was a significant difference between the mean concentration of muconic acid of workers exposed to airborne benzene concentration of 5-10 pm and that of workers exposed to concentrations below 5 ppm. The urinary muconic acid concentration were correlated with airborne benzene concentration for workers (r=0.85). However there was no significant correlation between urinary phenol concentrations and airborne benzene concentrations. 4. The correlation coefficients between the urinary muconic acid concentration and airborne benzene concentration, urinary phenol concentration, exposure dose(airborne benzene concentration x work duration) and white blood cell were 0.85, 0.74, 0.63 and -0.33, respectively.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Adhesives , Benzene , Environmental Monitoring , Erythrocytes , Hematocrit , Leukocytes , Phenol , Physical Examination , RespirationABSTRACT
Neurotoxicity in the workplace may occur with exposure to scores of chemicals. Although large acute outbreaks of the occupational neurological disease are rare, the incidence of occupational neurotoxicity in its subtler aspects is unknown. A working knowledge of both the major occupational neurotoxic solvents and the tools used by clinical neurologists and neurotoxicologists to evaluate neurotoxicity in working population is a necessity for the occupational physician. To investigate the effects of carbon disulfide(CS2) on the peripheral nerve system using the nervous conduction study, 105 male workers working in the spinning room of a viscose rayon factory were examined and compared with a sex and age matched, unexposed 105 male controls using t-test analysis. 72.4% of CS2-exposed workers complained of neurological symptoms, and the abnormal cases in nerve conduction study were 48.6%. The abnormal cases of nerve conduction study increased in number according as the age and duration of exposure increased. In this study, asymptomatic workers were confirmed to have subclinical neuropathy by nerve conduction study. Also as there were abnormal cases even in its duration of exposure below 4 years, nerve conduction study turned out to be ways of discovering of early peripheral neuropathy. In nerve conduction study, the amplitude, velocity, F-wave latency and H-reflex of the motor and sensory nerves in both upper and lower extremities were significant different between CS2-exposed workers and the controls. From the pathological viewpoint, both segmental and axonal degenerations were assumed in this study.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Axons , Carbon Disulfide , Carbon , Disease Outbreaks , H-Reflex , Incidence , Lower Extremity , Neural Conduction , Peripheral Nerves , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases , SolventsABSTRACT
The carpal tunnel syndromes is one of the most common peripheral nerve entrapment syndromes. The typical symptoms are pain, numbness and paresthesia in the median nerve territory of the hand. Recently, it is widely recognized that occupational factor is regarded as the important cause of the carpal tunnel syndrome. Clinical study is performed in the 42 female workers who is repetitively working at packing department in a rayon manufacturing factory from November 1991 till March 1992. The study included a questionnaire, physical examinations, and the neurophysiological test. The summary of the results obtained was as follows: 1. Among 42 packing workers, 9 workers(21.4%) were diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome by electromyography. The affected side was bilateral in 4 workers(9.5%), right in 4 workers(9.5%), and left in one worker(2.4%). 2. Among 42 subjects, 28 workers(66.7%) complained the clinical symptoms related to carpal tunnel syndrome, 11 workers(26.2%) showed positive Phalen sign, and 7 workers(16.7%) showed positive Tinel sign. 3. Researchers regard electromyographic finding as the gold standard for diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. The sensitivity and specificity of the clinical symptoms to diagnose the carpal tunnel syndrome were 0.89, 0.39 respectively. If the carpal tunnel syndrome is diagnosed by the combination of the positive findings of the symptoms and the physical examinations, either Tinel of Phalen sign, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.67 and 0.76 respectively. Considering above results, though this small number of worker is not adequate for epidemiologic conclusions, carpal tunnel syndrome seems to be an important occupational disorder among packing workers in a rayon manufacturing factory.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Carpal Tunnel Syndrome , Diagnosis , Electromyography , Fibrinogen , Hand , Hypesthesia , Median Nerve , Occupations , Paresthesia , Peripheral Nerves , Physical Examination , Surveys and Questionnaires , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
This research was conducted to investigate the correlations between urinary mercury concentration and each independent variable related with urinary mercury levels. the urinary mercury concentrations of 543 workers exposed to metal mercury vapor in a total of 11 fluorescent lamp manufacturing factories and at the same time mercury concentrations in air were measured from June 1989 to December 1989. And annually mercury consumption per workers, mercury consumption per lamp, numbers of breakage lamps, frequency of mercury infusion, numbers of droppers, and numbers of vacuum exhaustion pumps were also investigated. The results were as follows: 1. The geometric mean of airborne mercury concentration in a total of 11 factories was 47.9 microgram/m3 (5.8~352.2 microgram/m3), six factories(54.5%) of them were exceed the threshold limit value(50.0 microgram/m3). 2. The geometric mean of urinary mercury concentration among 543 workers was 84.3 microgram/l (1.13~533.9 microgram/l), the distribution of workers by urinary mercury concentration showed that 26 workers(4.8%) were above the mercury posioning level(300 microgram/l). 3. The correlation coefficient between urinary mercury concentration and monthly numbers of breakage lamps was the highest(0.74) and next was mercury consumption per lamp (0.67), annually mercury consumption per worker(0.63) in order.
Subject(s)
Korea , VacuumABSTRACT
This research was conducted to study the correlations between the airborne mercury concentration and each independent variable to detect the source of mercury contamination in a total or II fluorescent lamp manufacturing factories- The mercury concentraion in air was measured and informations about production management (operation hour, overtime, vacuum exhaustion system, number of droppers, number of vacuum exhaustion pumps, frequency of mercury infusion, mercury consumption per lamp, number of lamps producted, number of inferior lamps producted, number of breakage lamps, local exhaust ventilation system) were collected from January 1988 to March 1989. The results were as follows: 1. Among the airborne mercury concentrations according to the sampling point the highest mean concentration was 0.162mg/m3(0.016-0.635 mg/m3) at the workplace floor, and 0.074 mg/m3 at the vaccum exhaustion pump site, and 0.06 mg/m3 at the breathing zone in order. 2. The correlation between airborne mercury concentration and each Independent variable was significant in a following order; the number of Inferior lamps productedt(0.485), vacuum exhaustion syatem(-0,405), number of breakage lamps (0.344), operation hourl(0.341), number of vacuum exhaustion pumps(0.337) and local exhaust ventilation systern(0.331). 3. The result of stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the airborne mercury consumption was affected by number of inferior lamps producted, frequency of mercury infusion, overtime, ventilator, mercury consumption amounts per lamp, local exhaust ventilation system in order. And these six variables explained 36.7% of the variance of airborne mercury concentration.
Subject(s)
Korea , Respiration , Vacuum , Ventilation , Ventilators, MechanicalABSTRACT
In order In interpret the relationship among many variables, urinary mercury and at the same time mercury concentration in air were measured for 254 workers of a fluorescent lamp manufacturing factory. And monthly mercury consumption amounts, numbers of monthly producing fluorescent lamps, numbers of inferior lamps and numbers of breakage lamps, numbers of vacuum exhaustion pumps and frequencies of mercury infusion were also investigated from January 1988 to March in 1989. The results were as follows; 1. On the mercury concentration in air by producing line and by working site, all of them were exceed the threshold limit value (0.05mg/m(2)). 2. The highest mercury concentration in air by sampling point was found at the floor of workplace (0.334mg/m(2)) and next were at vacuum exhaustion pimp (0.183mg/m(2)), and breathing zone of workers (0.103mg/m(2)) in order. 3. The highest mean of the mercury concentration in urine by producing line was the automatic exhausting line (80.8microgram/1) and next were high speed exhausting line (72.4microgram/1), and Manual exhausting line (35.8microgram/1) in order. Distribution of workers of the mercury concentration in urine more than 200microgram/1 by working site was the highest (10%) in the vacuum exhaustion pump part and next were sealing part (6.6%), packing part (4.6%), and stem part (4.1%) in order. 4. The correlation coefficient between mercury concentration in urine and in air was the highest (0.302) and next were numbers of breakage lamps (0.223), frequencies of mercury infusion (0.223), numbers of inferior lamps (0.205) in order.
Subject(s)
Respiration , VacuumABSTRACT
When garlic (Allium sativum) was administered to rat per os simultaneously with cadmium, methylmercury and phenylmercury to detect the protective effect against the heavy metal poisoning, accumulation of heavy metals in liver, kidneys, bone and testes were decreased, and histopathological damages and the inhibition of serum alkaline phosphatase activities by heavy metals were reduced. Such effect of garlic was not shown in the 1.7% garlic treated group and most remarkable in the 6.7% garlic treated group. The protective effect of garlic was superior to those of 2,3 dimercapto-1-propanol (BAL) and D-penicillamine (PEN), and nearly similar to those of 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (APEN), the current remedies, while garlic was not effective as a curative agent for heavy metal poisoning. The excretion of cadmium was enhanced, more through feces than urine by garlic but the effect to the urinary excretion of cadmium was not significant comparing with DMSA or APEN when cadmium was ip injected in the first 3 days during the 12 days of oral administration of DMSA, APEN or garlic.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Cadmium/metabolism , Cadmium Poisoning/metabolism , Garlic , Mercury/metabolism , Mercury Poisoning/metabolism , Plants, Medicinal , Rats, Inbred Strains , Tissue DistributionABSTRACT
In order to study the effects of iron and zinc on the lead poisoning of rats, lead with iron and zinc, or lead alone were administered orally to a total of 98 adult rats of Sprague-Dawley Species. The concentrations of lead, zinc, and iron were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer at every 20 days intervals of 20th, 40th, 60th, 80th and 120th day as a final measurement. Those datas were analysed and compared with those of control groups. The results were summarized as follow; 1. The concentration of lead in blood, bone, and liver tissues kept increasing in case of lead exposure group whereas it started decreasing at 60-80th day when concentration of zinc started increasing in case of combined exposure group. However, in kidney tissue, the concentration of lead in combined exposure group kept increasing up to the end of observation showing special high concentration at the final measurement at 120th day. 2. Concentration of zinc in blood and liver tissues had increased from 60-80th day in case of combined exposure group. 3. Concentration of iron in blood showed decreasing from 44.15+/-9.67 to 32.44+/-2.69 microgram/ml in case of lead exposure group, whereas it showed constant level of 47.50~45.65 microgram/ml. However, in liver tissue it kept constant as control did from 40th to 60th days, but from 100th day on it started increasing to show much higher concentration than control.
Subject(s)
Adult , Animals , Humans , Rats , Absorption , Iron , Kidney , Lead Poisoning , Liver , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , ZincABSTRACT
This research is to examine the detoxication effect of methionine on cadmium intoxication. For this purpose, this paper provides an analysis of the data on the groups of mice (ICR), one group of mice treated with 40 ppm of cadmium only, and other groups of mice combined-treated with cadmium and 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% methionine. After breeding for 40 days, the data on the growth of mice, changes in activation of alkaline phosphatase in blood, and the cadmium content in the liver and kidney, are analysed. The results were as follow: 1) The growth-rate of mice, in the cadmium only injected group, was declined by 9% in comparison with the control group after 40 days. But the two groups of cadmium with 0.5% and 1% methionine showed the rise of 9% and 14% respectively above the growth-rate of the control group. The results from the groups of cadmium with 0.1% and 0.25% methionine were similar to that from the cadmium only injected group. 2) Changes in activation of alkaline phosphatase in blood decreased to 86.45% in the cadmium only injected group behind the 100% activation of the control group. The groups of cadmium with 0.1% and 0.25% methionine showed no difference with the former group. But the groups of cadmium with 0.5% and 1% methionine recovered to the 93.14% and 96.08% of activation respectively. 3) The mean content of cadmium in the liver was 0.028+/-0.001 microgram/g in the control group. The cadmium only injected group showed the mean cadmium content of 2.80+/-0.62 microgram/g in the liver, which was similar to 2.82+/-1.03 microgram/g in the group of cadmium with 0.1% methionine, and 2.56+/-0.77 microgram/g in the group of cadmium with 0.25% methionine. But the groups of cadmium with 0.5% and 1% methionine showed the reduction of cadmium contents in the liver to 1.84+/-0.56 microgram/g and 1.74+/-0.35 microgram/g respectively. In the kidney, the groups of cadmium with 0.1%, 0.25% and 0.5% methionine showed the similar cadmium content to the group treated with cadmium only. But the group of cadmium with 1% methionine showed a small increase to 4.13+/-1.00 microgram/g in comparison with the group treated with cadmium only. This analysis proves that the mobility and diffusion of cadmium in the tissues advance faster in the group treated with cadmium and methionine than in the group treated with cadmium only.