A Study on Health Hazards of Cold Exposed Workers / 대한산업의학회지

In order to evaluate the status of cold exposure and its health hazards of workers at cold storage workplaces and to provide basic data for effective health care, the author measured core temperature and also observed clinical symptoms and signs, past and present history, and general health examination data on 99 cold exposed workers for exposure group and 96 non-exposed workers for control group working at 2 food refrigerating companies in Pusan area from January 6, 1998 to February 24, 1998. The results were as follows : 1. There was statistically significant difference in water intake between the exposure and control group and increased urine volume, urine frequency in exposure group without statistically significant difference. 2. Past and present illness in exposure group were hypertension (18.2%), hepatopathy(8. 1%). gastro-intestinal disease(7. 1%). arthritis (4.0%), intervertebral disc herniation(4.0%). and so on, and hypertension, arthritis was statistically significant difference compared to control group. 3. Symptoms inexposure group were. fatigue(89.9%), headache (64.6%), drowsy(63.6%), neck stiffness(59.6%), excessive food intake (59.6%). general weakness(58.6%), hunger(58. 6%), numbness(54. 5%), and so on, and there was statistically significant difference between the exposure and control group except fatigue, drowsy. 4. As results of clinical test abnormality rate of the systolic, diastolic blood pressure and electrocardiogram were significantly higher in exposed group that control. 5. Core temperature in exposure group was statistically significantly lower than control group and the highest statistically significant inverse correlation with the working hours and working frequency of daily mean cold storage. As above results, the author suggested that the further studies should be conducted to evaluate the health status of workers about chronic health effects in cold workplaces and to establish effective health care methods for them.

The Significance of Increased Signal Intensity in MR Imaging among Male Welders / 대한산업의학회지

A purpose of present study is to provide basic information evaluating the utility of Magnetic Resonance imaging as a biological marker estimating manganese effects to central nervous system among welders, which is conducted by comparing urinary and blood manganese concentrations and signal intensities of brain MR images between exposed group and non-exposed group, evaluating the objectivity of subjective grading estimated by correlations between Pallidal signal intensity index (P. I) and subjective grades among exposed group, and comparing the difference of signal intensities according to presence of neurologic symptoms, signs and exposure variables among the exposed group. The exposed group is composed of 11 welders complaining severe symptoms or showing neurological signs, and the non-exposed group is composed of 5 patients who admitted a hospital. Urinary manganese concentrations and signal intensities in T1-weighted MR images among exposed group were higher than those of the non-exposed group significantly, which exhibits that increased signal intensities in T1-weighted MR image represent the effect of manganese exposure. P. Is among the exposed group revealed relatively high correlations with subjective grades ( gamma =0.63, p=0.037) , which suggests the objectivity of subjective grade. Signal intensity in globus pallidus was a suitable single variable representing the effect of manganese accumulation in C.N.S system appropriately, which was verified as follows ; Increased signal intensities among the exposed group had the highest frequency and intensity in the globus pallidus, and the P.I. had a relatively high correlation coefficient ( gamma 0.62, p=0.044) with total score of subjective grades. Signal intensity with subjective grading in globus pallidus represented very high correlation gamma =0.97, p=0.00) with total score of subjective grades, and had a similar correlation coefficient with many variables. It is hard to argue that signal intensities are markers representing pathologic change in C.N.S system or can be used as a diagnostic tool for manganese intoxication, because signal intensities had no difference between the exposed group and the non-exposed group according to presence of neurological signs.