ABSTRACT
A total of 100 workers, 86 from the glass-fibre-reinforced plastics (GRP) industry, 11 from polystyrene production and 3 from polyester resin coating manufacture, were examined for occupational skin hazards and for evaluation of skin protection. The workers had been exposed to many chemicals. Those working in the GRP industry had also been exposed to glass fibre and to dust produced by finishing work. 94% used protective gloves. 22 workers, all employed in the GRP industry, had contracted occupational skin disorders. 6 had allergic and 12 irritant contact dermatitis. 4 workers had an accidental injury caused by a peroxide catalyst, fire, hot air and constant mechanical friction. Allergic dermatoses were due to natural rubber (latex) (4 cases) in protective gloves, phenol-formaldehyde resin (1 case) and cobalt naphthenate (1 case). Irritant hand dermatoses (5 cases) were caused by the combined hazardous effect of unsaturated polyester or vinyl ester resins, organic solvents, glass fibre and dust from finishing work on the skin. Other cases of irritant dermatoses (7 cases) were due to the dust, promoted by mechanical friction of clothes. Skin disorders in the GRP industry were common (26%) but the symptoms were mild and only 3 patients had been on sick leave because of occupational skin disease.
Subject(s)
Dermatitis, Occupational/prevention & control , Glass , Hand Dermatoses/prevention & control , Plastics , Adult , Dust/adverse effects , Gloves, Protective , Humans , Intradermal Tests , Male , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning , Middle Aged , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Polyesters/adverse effects , Polystyrenes/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Quantitative EEG of 99 workers occupationally exposed to styrene was analyzed and compared to exposure parameters. All of the workers came from reinforced plastics industry. The workplaces and factories were previously evaluated, and the exposure levels were known rather accurately. The exposure information form workplaces and the individual exposure data were combined to form an Exposure Index, which reliably reflected long-term exposure to styrene in various occupational settings. All of the subjects underwent careful medical, neurological, and neurophysiological examinations. Quantitative EEG was recorded from 19 channels and analyzed for absolute and relative power, asymmetry, coherence, frequency distribution, and statistical normative database comparisons (Neurometrics). The EEG data showed a significant increase of abnormal EEG classifications in workers with higher exposure. When the workers were divided into two groups, based on the exposure data, those with higher exposure had higher absolute EEG power in alpha and beta bands in the frontotemporal regions of the brain. The findings indicate that abnormalities in cerebral function can be demonstrated even with relatively low mean exposure levels. It is concluded that the efforts to lower the administrative hygienic levels of styrene have been in the right direction.
Subject(s)
Central Nervous System/drug effects , Electroencephalography/drug effects , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Styrenes/adverse effects , Adult , Central Nervous System/physiopathology , Central Nervous System Diseases/chemically induced , Chronic Disease , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Occupational Diseases/chemically induced , Occupational Exposure/analysis , Occupational Exposure/standards , Styrene , Styrenes/analysisABSTRACT
Quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) for 99 workers exposed to styrene in the reinforced-plastics industry was analysed and compared with exposure parameters. The work places and factories from which the subjects were selected had been evaluated previously, and exposure levels were known relatively accurately. That information and data on individual exposures were combined to create an exposure index, which reliably reflected long-term exposure to styrene in various occupational settings. All of the subjects underwent careful medical and neurophysiological examinations. Quantitative EEG was recorded on 19 channels and analysed for absolute and relative power, asymmetry, coherence, frequency distribution, and statistical normative data base comparisons (neurometrics). When the workers were divided into three groups on the basis of exposure, workers with the highest exposure had significantly more EEGs classified as abnormal and had higher absolute EEG power in alpha band in the fronto-temporal regions of the brain. The findings indicate that abnormalities can occur in cerebral function even after relatively low mean exposures. We conclude that the efforts to lower regulatory hygienic levels of styrene are justified.
