American journal of industrial medicine
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Underground U. S. coal miners were studied cross-sectionally for the association of respirable coal mine dust exposure with pulmonary function and symptoms of airways obstruction. The study group included 1,185 miners participating in Round 4 of the National Study of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis who had started mining in or after 1970 when comprehensive exposure regulations first came into effect. ⋯ In logistic models, statistically significant associations of cumulative exposure with increasing prevalence of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC less than 80% predicted and symptoms including chronic phlegm, chronic bronchitis, breathlessness, wheeze, and wheeze with shortness of breath were found. It is concluded that exposures to respirable coal mine dust present in U. S. mines since 1970 continue to affect respiratory health in underground miners.
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This study examined the association between exposure to occupational hazards and pregnancy outcomes using data from a case-control study conducted in 29 hospitals in Shanghai, China. The sample included 1,875 perinatal deaths and newborns with birth defects and the same number of controls. Information on mother's exposure to occupational radiation, chemicals, noise, and pesticides was investigated. ⋯ Furthermore, higher than expected numbers of congenital anomalies in the central nervous system (CNS) were identified among women exposed to chemicals before pregnancy and to pesticides during the first trimester of pregnancy. No significant association was found between occupational exposure and intrapartum fetal death. Although recall bias may be possible in our study, the findings encourage further research.