ABSTRACT
The Neot Hovav Industrial Park (IP), located in southern Israel, hosts 23 chemical industry facilities and the national site for treatment of hazardous waste. Yet, information about its impact on the health of local population has been mostly ecological, focused on Bedouins and did not control for possible confounding effect of prevalent dust storms. This case-control study examined whether living near the IP could lead to increased risk of pediatric hospitalization for respiratory diseases. Cases (n=3608) were residents of the Be'er Sheva sub-district aged 0-14 years who were admitted for respiratory illnesses between 2004 and 2009. These were compared to children admitted for non-respiratory conditions (n=3058). Home addresses were geocoded and the distances from the IP to the child's residence were calculated. The association between hospitalization and residential distance from the IP was examined for three age groups (0-1, 2-6, 7-14) by logistic regressions adjusting for gender, socioeconomic status, urbanity and temperature. We found that infants in the first year of life who lived within 10 km of the IP had increased risk of respiratory hospitalization when compared with those living >20 km from the IP (adjusted odds ratio, OR=2.07, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.19-3.59). In models with both distance from the IP and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <10 µm (PM(10)) the estimated risk was modestly attenuated (OR=1.96, 95% CI: 1.09-3.51). Elevated risk was also observed for children 2-5 years of age but with no statistical significance (OR=1.16, 95% CI: 0.76-1.76). Our findings suggest that residential proximity to a hazardous industrial site may contribute to early life respiratory admissions, beyond that of prevailing PM(10).
Subject(s)
Hazardous Waste Sites , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Respiratory Tract Diseases/epidemiology , Adolescent , Case-Control Studies , Child , Child, Preschool , Dust , Female , Geography , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Israel/epidemiology , Logistic Models , Male , Odds Ratio , Particulate Matter/analysis , Residence Characteristics , Respiratory Tract Diseases/etiology , Sex Factors , Socioeconomic Factors , Temperature , Urban Population/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess connections between sleeping quality and hearing impairment due to prolonged exposure to industrial noise. DESIGN: Observational cross-sectional study. SETTING: Occupational clinic of the Clalit Health Services in Israel. PARTICIPANTS: 298 male volunteers occupationally exposed to harmful noise, who had an audiometric examination performed by an occupational nurse as a part of the national workers health supervision programs. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The participants underwent an audiometric testing, and their sleep quality was measured by a validated Mini Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ). Participants with hearing loss greater than 25 dBA in the range of 1000-4000 Hz were defined as the research group (n = 99) and were compared to those with no hearing impairment (n = 199). Sleeping disorders were age related (30% higher MSQ score among workers above 50 years, P = 0.003). Tinnitus was the highest sleep disturbing factor, with 75% higher score among those affected, P = 0.001. In multiple linear regression analysis, tinnitus was the leading sleep-disturbing factor (regression coefficient B = 8.66, P < 0.001) followed by hearing impairment (regression coefficient B = 2.42, P = 0.084), adjusted for age (or years of exposure) and coffee drinking. A part of the MSQ, related to insomnia, was further evaluated using logistic regression models. Tinnitus was again the leading sleep disturbing factor [OR = 11.91; CI95% (1.56-91.2)], followed by hearing impairment [OR = 3.051; CI95% (1.18-7.86)]. CONCLUSION: Although tinnitus was the main sleep disrupting factor, hearing impairment among workers occupationally exposed to harmful noise, independently contributed to sleep impairment, especially to insomnia, regardless of age and years of exposure.
