| 2. |
- 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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| 3. |
- Sjödin, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Flame retardant exposure: polybrominated diphenyl ethers in blood from Swedish workers.
- 1999
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Ingår i: Environmental Health Perspectives. - 1552-9924. ; 107:8, s. 643-648
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as additives in polymers and textiles to prohibit the development of fires. Because of the production and use of PBDEs, their lipophilic characteristics, and persistence, these compounds have become ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The aim of the present study was to determine potential exposures of PBDEs to clerks working full-time at computer screens and personnel at an electronics-dismantling plant, with hospital cleaners as a control group. Five PBDE congeners--2,2´,4,4´-tetraBDE ; 2,2´,4,4´,5,5´-hexaBDE ; 2,2´,4,4´,5,6´-hexaBDE ; 2,2´,3,4,4´,5´,6-heptaBDE ; and decaBDE--were quantified in blood serum from all three categories of workers. Subjects working at the dismantling plant showed significantly higher levels of all PBDE congeners in their serum as compared to the control group. Decabromodiphenyl ether is present in concentrations of 5 pmol/g lipid weight (lw) in the personnel dismantling electronics ; these concentrations are comparable to the concentrations of 2,2´,4,4´-tetraBDE. The latter compound was the dominating PBDE congener in the clerks and cleaners. The major compound in personnel at the dismantling plant was 2,2´,3,4,4´,5´,6-heptaBDE. Concentrations of this PBDE congener are almost twice as high as for 2,2´,4,4´-tetraBDE in these workers and seventy times the level of this heptaBDE in cleaners. The total median PBDE concentrations in the serum from workers at the electronics-dismantling plant, clerks, and cleaners were 37, 7.3, and 5.4 pmol/g lw, respectively. The results show that decabromodiphenyl ether is bioavailable and that occupational exposure to PBDEs occurs at the electronics-dismantling plant.
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