Med Lav
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
European multicentric case control study on risk for mesothelioma after non-occupational (domestic and environmental) exposure to asbestos.
The paper presents the European multicentric case-control study on risk for mesothelioma after non-occupational (domestic and environmental) exposure to asbestos. The study includes eight centres in seven European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). It is focused on the measurement of mesothelioma risk in relation to low intensity exposure to asbestos and to exposure to MMMF and other agents. It includes incident cases of pleural malignant mesothelioma (histologically diagnosed and verified) and a random sample of the population.
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Comparative Study
Neurobehavioral functions in operating theatre personnel exposed to anesthetic gases.
Neurobehavioral functions in paramedical operating theatre personnel were assessed in a cross-sectional survey. Sixty-two subjects (40 males and 22 females) occupationally exposed to anesthetic gases were examined and compared to 46 unexposed hospital workers (18 males and 28 females). The Simple Reaction Time (SRT) test was selected from the MANS battery (Milan Automated Neurobehavioural System). ⋯ This alteration was observed also considering only the subjects exposed to less than 55 micrograms/l (which is the Italian exposure limit for N2Ou, equivalent to 100 ppm for N2Oa). No significant differences were observed for the other psychometric tests. No dose-effect relationships where found between SRT test score and the indicators of exposure (N2Oa, ETHa, N2Ou).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Comparative Study
[Exposure to silicon carbide fibers in the production of carborundum].
Recent reports have shown that not only silicon carbide dusts but also fibres are liberated into the working environment during the various phases of silicon carbide production (using Acheson furnaces), thus creating a further potential health hazard. An environmental hygiene survey was conducted in a silicon carbide production plant with the aim of quantifying airborne dusts and fibres. Although dust levels were below 50% of the TLV, high concentrations of fibres were observed (analyzed via optical microscopy using the criteria for asbestos fibres), which in some locations reached levels of 2000 fibres/litre with means (GM) between 100 and 780 fibres/litre according to department. These results are assessed in the light of the growing interest of researchers in the experimental effects of silicon carbide fibres.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
[Occupation and lung cancer risk in the province of Trieste: a case-control study].
To investigate the relationship between occupation and lung cancer, a case-control study was performed in the province of Trieste, Italy, where metallurgical and mechanical industries, dock activities and shipbuilding and ship repairing are predominant. Through the local Cancer Registry, pathology records of 938 men who died of primary lung cancer (ICD 162) in a five-year period were examined. Residential, smoking and occupational histories were obtained from interviews of next of kin of 756 cases and 756 age-matched male controls (+/- 2 years). ⋯ The ARp fraction for occupations with well-established exposures to lung carcinogens (list A) was 16.2%. The ARp fraction increased to 25.5% (85% CI = 1.4-34.6) when occupations with suspected exposure to lung carcinogens (list B) were included. The ARp fraction for possible or definite exposure to asbestos was 20.1% (95% CI = 11.6-28.6).
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Comparative Study
[The monitoring of cholinesterases in farm workers and tradesmen exposed to phosphoric esters and carbamates].
Cholinesterase (ChE) levels (Ellman method) were monitored in 90 subjects (69 males and 21 females) exposed to carbamate and organophosphate pesticides (78 agricultural workers and 12 pesticide vendors). Pre-exposure baseline values of plasma and red blood cell cholinesterase activities were defined for each subject with two blood samples (23 workers) or three blood samples (59 workers) taken almost thirty days after the last exposure. After control of intra-individual variation, 8 subjects with only one pre-exposure value and 13 with a coefficient of variation above 30% were excluded. ⋯ The figures show a greater sensitivity of plasma ChE activity in acute exposure, probably due to a poor reliability in detection of erythrocyte ChE by local laboratories. The maximum reduction (38%, 95% C. I. = 22%-53%) in plasma ChE activity was observed within six days of the last exposure in loaders and appliers.