Health profile of workers in the paint industry

ABSTRACT

In paint manufacture, there is unacceptably high chemical exposure with consequent effects on health. Raw materials used to manufacture paints constitute major chemical hazards to workers as a result of mechanical operations. This study is conducted on a group of workers in a paint industry in an attempt to assess the impact of the paints and coatings on health and on the clinical and laboratory parameters. Due to the high concentration of solvents in this industry, high incidence of renal impairment has been observed. The liver was less affected as evidenced by the serum transaminases level, though these were considered unreliable measures being unrelated to sub-clinical affection. Chest examination revealed the presence of some cases of chronic bronchitis and others with frequent asthmatic attacks. Immunological assessment revealed statistically significant elevation in the serum immunoglobulin E [IgE] among the exposed population. Contrarily, the IgG was not significantly elevated though positively correlating with the IgE level. The paint industry is, therefore, one of the most hazardous industries that need further investigations to keep the levels of toxic dust to minimum and set the precautions to protect the working population