| 1. |
- Jakobsson, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Airway symptoms and lung function in pipelayers exposed to thermal degradation products from MDI-based polyurethane.
- 1997
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - 1470-7926. ; 54, s. 873-879
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence of symptoms from the eyes and the upper and lower respiratory tract, lung function, and immunological sensitisation towards isocyanates in pipelayers exposed to thermal degradation products from methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI)-based polyurethane (PUR). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 50 presently active and 113 formerly active pipelayers were examined. Also, 65 unexposed workers were investigated for comparison. The one year prevalence of symptoms and smoking history (questionnaire data), lung function (vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and atopy (positive skin prick tests towards standard allergens) were assessed among pipelayers and controls. For the pipelayers, the presence of work related symptoms and estimates of isocyanate and welding exposure were obtained from an interview. Skin prick tests towards specific isocyanate antigens and determinations of IgE-MDI and IgG-MDI in serum were also performed. RESULTS: The
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| 2. |
- Jakobsson, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Asbestos, cement, and cancer in the right part of the colon
- 1994
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - 1470-7926. ; 51:2, s. 95-101
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE--The aim was to investigate associations between exposure to mineral fibres and dust, and cancer in subsites within the large bowel. DESIGN--Pooled retrospective cohort studies. SUBJECTS AND SETTINGS--Blue collar workers, employed for at least one year in different trades; asbestos cement or cement workers (n = 2507), other industrial workers (n = 3965), and fishermen (n = 8092). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Standardised incidence ratios (SIRs, national reference rates) were calculated for cause specific cancer morbidity between 1958 and 1989. The observation period began 15 years after first employment. RESULTS--The asbestos cement and cement workers had a slightly increased risk of colorectal cancer (SIR 1.5; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-2.0). This was due to an increase only in the right part of the colon (SIR 2.5; 95% CI 1.6-3.8). The ratio of right (7th revision of the International Classification of Diseases ICD-7) 1530-1531)/left (ICD-7 1532-1533) colon cancer among the asbestos cement and cement workers of 4.8 differed significantly from the ratio both among the other blue collar workers (0.4) and among the fishermen (1.5). As the sensitivity and accuracy was insufficient, mortality data did not show the excess of cancers in the right part of the colon. CONCLUSIONS--An increased incidence of cancer in the right part of the colon was evident in the asbestos cement and cement workers. The distribution of cancers within the colon was noticeably different from that in other blue collar workers, indicating that our findings cannot be explained by socioeconomic confounding factors. A detailed and appropriate disease classification, based on incidence data, is necessary in order not to obscure or underestimate effects of exposure in epidemiological studies on colorectal cancer.
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| 3. |
- Jakobsson, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic polymorphism for glutathione-S-transferase mu in asbestos cement workers
- 1994
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - 1470-7926. ; 51:12, s. 812-816
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE--To investigate whether a lack of glutathione-S-transferase mu (GSTM1) activity was related to an increased risk for adverse outcome after asbestos exposure. METHODS--A study was made of 78 male former asbestos cement workers, with retrospective cohort data on exposure, radiographical findings, and lung function. Venous blood samples were obtained for the analysis of GSTM1 polymorphism by the polymerase chain reaction technique. Chest x ray films were classified according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 1980 classification. Vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume during 1 s (FEV1) were determined. Individual estimates of asbestos exposure were calculated, and expressed as duration of exposure, average exposure intensity, and cumulative dose. Data on smoking were obtained from interviews. RESULTS--The lung function in the study group was reduced, compared with reference equations. 23% of the workers had small opacities > or = 1/0, 29% circumscribed pleural thickenings, 14% diffuse thickenings, and 12% obliterated costophrenic angles. 54% of the workers were GSTM1 deficient. They were comparable with the other workers in age, follow up time (median 30 years), and duration of exposure (median 18 years), but had a slightly higher cumulated dose (median 18 v 10 fibre-years) than the others. Neither in radiographical changes nor lung function variables were there any differences between the different GSTM1 groups. The findings were similar when smoking habits and estimated asbestos exposure were taken into account. CONCLUSIONS--We could not show that lack of GSTM1 activity was related to an increased risk for radiographical or lung function changes in a group of asbestos cement workers, followed up for a long period after the end of exposure.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Jakobsson, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Radiological changes in asbestos cement workers
- 1995
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - 1470-7926. ; 52:1, s. 20-27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE--To explore associations between exposure to asbestos cement dust and radiographic findings in lung parenchyma and pleura. METHODS--Radiographs from 174 blue collar workers and 29 white collar workers from an asbestos cement plant formed one part of the study. Progression of small opacities was further studied in those 124 blue collar workers, for whom two radiographs taken after the end of employment were available. The median readings from five readers who used the full ILO 1980 classification were used. As exposure indices, time since start of employment, duration of employment, cumulative exposure, and average intensity of asbestos exposure were used. The influence of age and smoking was also considered in multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS--Small opacities (profusion > or = 1/0) were closely correlated with time related exposure variables, and showed weaker association with intensity based exposure variables. The odds ratio (OR) for small opacities was equal to 2.8 (90% CI 1.2, 6.7) in the > 30 f(fibre)-y/ml group, compared with those in the 0-10 f-y/ml group. Progression of at least two minor ILO categories after the end of employment was seen in 20%. Also, pleural thickening was closely related to time. By contrast, costophrenic angle obliterations were not associated with the time related variables, but closely associated with the intensity of asbestos exposure, and tended to occur during employment. The OR was 4.5 (90% CI 1.3, 15) in the > 2 f/ml group, compared with those in the 0-1 f/ml group. CONCLUSIONS--In these workers, exposed mainly to chrysotile but also to small amounts of amphibole, the risk of radiographically visible parenchymal abnormality was substantially increased and strongly dependent on time related exposure variables. Progression was found long after the end of exposure. The findings on costophrenic angle obliterations, supposed to be sequelae of benign pleural effusions, were consistent with an immediate reaction triggered by intense asbestos exposure.
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| 6. |
- Thuresson, K, et al.
(författare)
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Apparent half-lives of hepta- to decabrominated diphenyl ethers in human serum as determined in occupationally exposed workers
- 2006
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Ingår i: Environmental Health Perspectives. - : Environmental Health Perspectives. - 1552-9924 .- 0091-6765. ; 114:2, s. 176-181
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the present study was to model apparent serum half-lives of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) with 7-10 bromine substituents. Workers with occupational exposure to PBDEs have elevated serum levels of PBDEs, but these substances are also found in the general population and are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The calculations were based on exposure assessments of rubber workers (manufactured flame-retarded rubber compound) and electronics dismanders who donated blood during a period with no work-related exposures to PBDEs, and referents without any known occupational exposure (clerks, cleaners, and abattoir workers). The workers had previously been found to have elevated levels of high- and medium-brominated diphenyl ethers compared with the referent populations. We performed nonlinear mixed-effects modeling of kinetics, using data from previous and present chemical analyses. The calculated apparent half-life for decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) was 15 days (95% confidence interval, 11-18 days). The three nona-BDEs and four octa-BDE congeners were found to have half-lives of 18-39 and 37-91 days, respectively. BDE-209 has a short half-life in human blood. Because BDE-209 is commonly present in humans in general, the results of this study imply that humans must be more or less continuously exposed to BDE-209 to sustain the serum concentrations observed. BDE-209 is more readily transformed and/or eliminated than are lower brominated diphenyl ether congeners, and human health risk must be assessed accordingly.
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