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- A study on manganese health hazards among experienced welders.
- Gyu Hoi Kim, Hyun Sul Lim, Sun Hee Yu
- Korean J Prev Med. 1998;31(4):644-665.
- 2,168 View
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Abstract
PDF - This study was conducted to evaluate the health hazards and to develop early diagnostic methods of the manganism in experienced welders and to know the meaning of signal intensities on the brain Magnetic Resonance images. It was carried out from December 1996 to February 1997 with 277 male welders, the duration of welding was at least 5 years or more. The study was consisted of a questionnaire, physical examination and measurements of blood and urine manganese concentrations. Brain Magnetic Resonance imaging was done on 19 study subjects by random sampling. As the duration of welding increases, the positive rates of clinical symptoms, neurological examinations and blood manganese concentrations were also increased. However, physical examinations and urine manganese concentrations were not statistically significant with the duration of welding. Authors couldn't observe any Parkinsonism-like diseases. There were statistically significant correlations between duration of welding and blood manganese concentrations(r=0.16, p<0.01). There were not statistically significant correlations between duration of welding and urine manganese concentrations(r=0.06). There were statistically significant correlations between blood and urine manganese concentrations(r=0.34, p<0.01). By viewing brain Magnetic Resonance images, 13 welders(68.4 %) among 19 welders were found to have signal intensities. The positive rates of clinical symptoms, physical examinations, neurological examinations and blood and urine manganese concentrations were not statistically different between those with signal intensities and those without signal intensities. We would like to suggest that some non-specific clinical symptoms and neurological signs are correlated with the duration of welding but any Parkinsonism-like diseases had not been observed with these welders. Next we suggest that the high signal intensities on T1WI of brain Magnetic Resonance images are not the sign of manganese intoxication but the sign of manganese deposition.
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Summary
- Study on the Pulmonary Function in Welding Fume Exposed Workers.
- Young Seoub Hong, Byoung Gwon Kim, Sung Ryul Kim, Do Won Dam, Jung Man Kim, Kap Yull Jung, Joon Youn Kim
- Korean J Prev Med. 1995;28(1):43-58.
- 2,120 View
- 22 Download
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Abstract
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- In order to study the effect of welding fume exposure upon the pulmonary function test, we examined 131 shielded arc welding workers, and 152 CO2 arc welding workers as cases and 172 control workers for their general characteristics, and forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1.0) forced expiratory volume in one second as a percent of FVC(FEV1.0%), and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMF) were obtained from in the spirogram. In shielded arc welding group and CO2 arc welding group, FVC, FEV1.0, FEV1.0%, and MMF were significantly decreased than control group, especially marked in the MMF finding. The distribution of workers below normal range was as follows: in the shielded arc welding group, 2 workers(l.5%) for FVC, 17 workers(13.0%) for FEV1.0, 5 workers(3.8%) for FEV1.0%, 28 workers(21.4%) for MMF, and in the CO2 arc welding group, 3 workers(2.0%) for FVC, 25 workers(16.4%) for FEV1.0, 8 workers(5.3%) for FEV1.0% and 37 workers(24.3%) for MMF, and significant increase by exposure duration was found in MMF. The distribution of workers who had ventilation impairment was as follows: 5 workers(3.8%) for obstructive type, 2 workers(l.5%) for restrictive type in the shielded arc welding group and, workers(4.6%) for obstructive type. 2 workers(l.3%) for restriotive type, and 1 worker(0.6%) was combined type of the CO2 arc welding group. In the respect of these results the significant pulmonary function and ventilatory impairment were observed in welding fume exposed workers who had not abnormal finding in chest X-ray, and MMF considered as the most sensitive pulmonary function index by welding fume exposure. Therefore even if it is hard to doing pulmonary function test in the first health examination of workers according to the Industrial Safety Health Act in the welding fume exposure workers. it is desirable to consider doing PFT. Also evaluating the ventilation impairment, it is necessary, to observe the change of MMF that marker of effort-independent portion.
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Summary
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