| 1. |
- Holm, Mathias, 1969, et al.
(författare)
-
Acute effects after occupational endotoxin exposure at a spa.
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health. - 0355-3140. ; 35:2, s. 153-5
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Two spa workers reported such symptoms as fever, shivering, palpitation, arthralgia, and diarrhea after performing seaweed massages on clients at a spa center. This study was carried out to determine whether the symptoms were related to exposure to endotoxin. METHODS: Personal and stationary air sampling for the measurement of airborne endotoxin was carried out at the spa during the preparation of a bath and the following seaweed massage. In addition, the impact of storage time on the concentration of endotoxin in the seaweed was investigated. RESULTS: The measurements confirmed exposure to aerosolized endotoxin at the spa (11 ng/m (2)and 22 ng/m (3)). The endotoxin concentration in the stored seaweed increased as the storage time increased, from 360 ng/g seaweed for fresh seaweed to 33100 ng/g seaweed for seaweed stored for >20 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Organic dust toxic syndrome was diagnosed for two workers who performed seaweed massages at a spa center at which aerosolized endotoxin was measured. In order to minimize entotoxin exposure during massages, it is important to use fresh seaweed or seaweed kept well cooled for no more than 2-3 weeks.
|
|
| 2. |
- Holm, Mathias, 1969, et al.
(författare)
-
Respiratory health effects and exposure to superabsorbent polymer and paper dust - an epidemiological study.
- 2011
-
Ingår i: BMC public health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 11:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The primary aim of the present study was to investigate if exposure to dust from absorbent hygiene products containing superabsorbent polymer is related to symptoms from the airways and from the eyes. The secondary aim was to estimate the current exposure to superabsorbent polymer among production and maintenance workers in a plant producing hygiene products. METHODS: The cohort comprised 1043 workers of whom 689 were exposed to super absorbent polymer and 804 were exposed to paper dust (overlapping groups). There was 186 workers not exposed to either superabsorbent polymer or to paper dust They were investigated with a comprehensive questionnaire about exposure, asthma, rhinitis and symptoms from eyes and airways. The results were analyzed with logistic regression models adjusting for sex, age, atopy and smoking habits. An aerosol sampler equipped with a polytetrafluoroethylene filter with 1 um pore size was used for personal samplings in order to measure inhalable dust and superabsorbent polymer. RESULTS: The prevalence of nasal crusts (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.01-2.0) and nose-bleeding (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.4) was increased among the paper dust exposed workers (adjusted for superabsorbent polymer exposure). There were no significant effects associated with exposure to superabsorbent polymer (adjusted for paper dust exposure). The average exposure to inhalable levels of total dust (paper dust) varied between 0.40 and 1.37 mg/m3. For superabsorbent polymer dust the average exposure varied between 0.02 and 0.81 mg/m3. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our study shows that workers manufacturing diapers in the hygiene industry have an increased prevalence of symptoms from the nose, especially nose-bleeding. There was no relation between exposure to superabsorbent polymer and symptoms from eyes, nose or respiratory tract, but exposure to paper dust was associated with nose-bleeding and nasal crusts. This group of workers had also a considerable exposure to superabsorbent polymer dust.
|
|
| 3. |
- Kim, Jeong-Lim, et al.
(författare)
-
Impact of occupational exposures on exacerbation of asthma: a population-based asthma cohort study.
- 2016
-
Ingår i: BMC pulmonary medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2466. ; 16:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Asthma is a prevalent chronic disease and occupation contributes to approximately 15% of cases among adults. However, there are still few studies on risk factors for work-exacerbated asthma. The current study investigated the association between asthma exacerbations and occupational exposures.The study comprised all currently working adults (n=1356) who reported ever asthma in prior population-based cohorts. All subjects completed a questionnaire about exposures, occupations and exacerbations of asthma. Exposure to high and low molecular weight agents, irritating agents and asthmagens were classified using the asthma-specific job exposure matrix for northern Europe (N-JEM). Severe exacerbation of asthma was defined as sought emergency care at a hospital, admitted to a hospital overnight, or made an urgent visit to a primary care physician or district medical office due to breathing problems during the last 12months. Moderate exacerbation was defined as both being not severe exacerbation and an additional visit to a primary care physician or district medical office, or had extra treatments with corticosteroid tablets. Mild exacerbation was defined as being neither severe nor moderate exacerbation, and increasing usage of inhaled corticosteroids. Multiple logistic regression was applied to investigate the association between exacerbation of asthma and occupational exposures while adjusting for potential confounders.Approximately 26% of the working asthmatics reported exacerbation, and more than two-thirds of them had moderate or severe exacerbation. From 23 to 49% of the asthmatics reported occupational exposure to a variety of different types of agents. Exposure to any gas, smoke or dust (OR 1.7[95 % CI 1.2-2.6]) was associated with severe exacerbation of asthma, as were organic dust (OR 1.7[1.2-2.5]), dampness and mold (OR 1.8[1.2-2.7]), cold conditions (OR 1.7[1.1-2.7]), and a physically strenuous job (OR 1.6[1.03-2.3]). Asthmagens and low molecular weight agents classified by the N-JEM were associated with mild exacerbation, with OR 1.6[1.1-2.5] and OR 2.2[1.1-4.4], respectively.Self-reported exposure to any gas, smoke or dust, organic dust, dampness and mold, cold conditions and physically strenuous work, and jobs handling low molecular weight agents were associated with exacerbation of asthma. Reduction of these occupational exposures may help to reduce exacerbation of asthma.
|
|
| 4. |
- Kisiel, Marta, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
-
The risk of respiratory tract infections and antibiotic use in a general population and among people with asthma
- 2021
-
Ingår i: ERJ Open Research. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 2312-0541. ; 7:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim The aim of this study was to investigate occupational, environmental, early life and other risk factors associated with respiratory infections and antibiotics use in a general population and among asthmatic individuals. Method This study included 15842 participants of the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study aged 25–54 years from five Nordic countries, who answered a questionnaire covering respiratory outcomes, exposures, demographic characteristics and numbers of infections and courses of antibiotics in the last 12 months. Multiple logistic regression with and without adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, body mass index and centre were used to study the risk of infection and antibiotics in relation to asthma, and also the association between infection and antibiotics and occupations. Results In the whole population, 11.6% reported having three or more respiratory infections, and 14.7% had used antibiotics because of respiratory tract infections within the last year. Asthmatic participants reported tripled odds for such infections (adjusted OR 2.98, 95% CI 2.53–3.52) and antibiotics use (adjusted OR 3.67, 95% CI 3.18–4.24) as compared to non-asthmatic participants. Both in the general and the asthmatic population, female sex, obesity and exposure to building dampness were associated with respiratory infections. Female sex and current smoking and living in Tartu were associated with antibiotic use. The use of antibiotics was doubled in people hospitalised for severe respiratory infection in childhood. Conclusion In this study we identified several factors associated with increased respiratory infections and use of antibiotics in a general population and among asthmatic individuals. The frequency of respiratory infections and subsequent antibiotic treatment were increased among those with asthma. © The authors 2021.
|
|
| 5. |
- Lillienberg, Linnea, 1942, et al.
(författare)
-
Occupational Exposure and New-onset Asthma in a Population-based Study in Northern Europe (RHINE)
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Annals of Occupational Hygiene. - Oxford : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0003-4878 .- 1475-3162. ; 57:4, s. 482-492
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a large population-based study among adults in northern Europe the relation between occupational exposure and new-onset asthma was studied. The study comprised 13 284 subjects born between 1945 and 1973, who answered a questionnaire 19891992 and again 19992001. Asthma was defined as Asthma diagnosed by a physician with reported year of diagnose. Hazard ratios (HR), for new-onset adult asthma during 19802000, were calculated using a modified job-exposure matrix as well as high-risk occupations in Cox regression models. The analyses were made separately for men and women and were also stratified for atopy. During the observation period there were 429 subjects with new-onset asthma with an asthma incidence of 1.3 cases per 1000 person-years for men and 2.4 for women. A significant increase in new-onset asthma was seen for men exposed to plant-associated antigens (HR 3.6; 95% CI [confidence interval] 1.49.0), epoxy (HR 2.4; 95% CI 1.34.5), diisocyanates (HR 2.1; 95% CI 1.23.7) and accidental peak exposures to irritants (HR 2.4; 95% CI 1.34.7). Both men and women exposed to cleaning agents had an increased asthma risk. When stratifying for atopy an increased asthma risk were seen in non-atopic men exposed to acrylates (HR 3.3; 95% CI 1.47.5), epoxy compounds (HR 3.6; 95% CI 1.67.9), diisocyanates and accidental peak exposures to irritants (HR 3.0; 95% CI 1.27.2). Population attributable risk for occupational asthma was 14% for men and 7% for women. This population-based study showed that men exposed to epoxy, diisocyanates and acrylates had an increased risk of new-onset asthma. Non-atopics seemed to be at higher risk than atopics, except for exposure to high molecular weight agents. Increased asthma risks among cleaners, spray painters, plumbers, and hairdressers were confirmed.
|
|
