Respiratory and skin disorders among workers in water-based paints industry

ABSTRACT

In the last few decades, painting industry started to develop new types of paints "water-based paints" to replace "solvent-based ones" which contain large amounts of solvents. Water-based paints involve an. emulsion of acrylic resin, stabilizers [e.g. ammonia] and preservatives [e.g. formaldehyde] dissolved in water; that are more safe than solvent paints. To determine the respiratory and skin disorders which may affect workers in such industry, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 20 male workers in water-based paints factory in Sadat City, Menoufiya Governorate in comparison with an equal number of non exposed subjects as control group. Both groups were matched for age, sex, socioeconomic standards, education, marital status and smoking habit. All individuals were subjected to structured question naire including personal, occupational and medical histories, clinical examination, and spirometric measurements arid skin patch test. The prevalence of respiratory and skin manifestations and positive patch test results was significantly higher in exposed than control group. Also there was a trend of declining in spirometric measure ments [FVC%, FEV1%, FEV1/FVC% arid MEF] reaching a significant level or MEF% among exposed workers than in control ones. Smoking had a synergistic effect with exposure to water-based paints leading to a significant increase in the prevalence of respiratory manifestations and a significant reduction of mean of MEF%among exposed smoking workers than exposed non-smokers [108. 73 +/- 3.5and1 15.0 +/- 4,2% respectively]. There was a significant relationship between the increase in duration of exposure and increase in the prevalence of respiratory and skin manifestation and declining in MEF% among exposed workers in water-based paints industry. Usage of protective equipments was significantly valuable in minimizing the prevalence of skin manifestations [itching from 66,7% to 12..5% and dermatitis from 66.7% to 0%] among exposed personnel. Work in the water-based paints-industry was associated with increased prevalence of respiratory and skin manifestations and reduction of spirometric measurements. It is recommend that smoking habit must be prohibited in this industry with stress on proper usage of personal protective equipments together with health education for workers in water-based paints about risk of exposure and steps to minimize the resulting disorders