Effects of exposure to very high frequency radiofrequency radiation on six antenna engineers in two separate incidents.

Six men are likely to have been accidentally exposed to high levels of very high frequency (VHF) radiofrequency radiation (100 MHz) while working on transmission masts; four men in one incident and two in another. They experienced symptoms and signs which included headache, parasthesiae, diarrhoea, malaise and lassitude. The condition of four men, two men from each incident likely to have had the highest exposure, has shown no significant improvement. The first incident occurred in 1995 and the second in 1996.

Effects of acute exposure to ultrahigh radiofrequency radiation on three antenna engineers.

Three men were accidentally exposed to high levels of ultrahigh frequency radiofrequency radiation (785 MHz mean frequency) while working on a television mast. They experienced an immediate sensation of intense heating of the parts of the body in the electromagnetic field followed by a variety of symptoms and signs which included pain, headache, numbness, and parasthesiae, malaise, diarrhoea, and skin erythema. The most notable problem was that of acute then chronic headache involving the part of the head which was most exposed.

Chest x ray screening for lung cancer at three British chromates plants from 1955 to 1989.

Chest x ray screening for lung cancer had been undertaken over a period of 34 years, initially at yearly intervals, then at eight-monthly intervals, on chromates workers at three plants in the United Kingdom. A review of the records of 229 employees who were diagnosed as having carcinoma of the lung during the screening programme was conducted. Survival data were available on 124 cases (123 now deceased) who constitute the study population. The cases were analysed by age and regularity of attendance for screening. The numbers detected by works x ray screening and by other means were determined with five and 10 year survival rates. A modest but predictable improvement in the five year survival of those who attended regularly for radiography was shown. Taking the total population of cases for whom screening was available, no significant improvement in five year survival was found.

A survey into the respiratory effects of prolonged exposure to pulverised fuel ash.

Previous studies of respiratory disorders in workers exposed to pulverised fuel ash (PFA) have been confined to radiological effects that were found to be minimal. The present survey included 268 men (88% of the defined population) with a history of more than 10 years exposure to PFA in six power stations in the south east of England. Respiratory questionnaires with full occupational histories were obtained from all of these subjects, of whom 207 were actively employed and 61 had retired; 243 had lung function tests and 208 had chest x ray examinations. The men were grouped, using their occupational histories, into high, medium, and low exposure categories. Dust concentrations were obtained by personal sampling on a representative sample of men from the three exposure categories. Lung function tests showed that a modest effect on forced vital capacity, vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, peak flow, and gas transfer (DCO) was associated with prolonged heavy exposure to PFA. The men with prolonged heavy exposure also showed higher prevalences of respiratory symptoms. No definite relation between exposure and x ray changes was established. The results of this cross sectional survey indicate that exposures to PFA should not exceed the limits recommended by the Health and Safety Executive for low toxicity dusts.