Urine Crystallization in Heat Exposed Workers in Semarang City, Indonesia

Background: Thyroid diseases occur more frequently in people exposed to ionizing radiation, but the relationship between occupational exposure to ionizing radiation and thyroid pathologies still remains unclear. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of thyroid diseases in healthcare workers exposed to low-level ionizing radiation compared with a control group working at the University Hospital of Bari, Southern Italy, and living in the same geographical area, characterized by mild iodine deficiency. Methods: We ran a cross-sectional study to investigate whether healthcare workers exposed to ionizing radiation had a higher prevalence of thyroid diseases. Four hundred and forty-four exposed healthcare workers (241 more exposed, or “A Category”, and 203 less exposed, or “B Category”) and 614 nonexposed healthcare workers were enrolled during a routine examination at the Occupational Health Unit. They were asked to fill in an anamnestic questionnaire and undergo a physical examination, serum determination of fT3, fT4 and TSH, anti-TPO ab and anti-TG ab and ultrasound neck scan. Thyroid nodules were submitted to fine needle aspiration biopsy when indicated. Results: The prevalence of thyroid diseases was statistically higher in the exposed workers compared to controls (40% vs 29%, adPR 1.65; IC95% 1.34-2.07). In particular, the thyroid nodularity prevalence in the exposed group was approximately twice as high as that in the controls (29% vs 13%; adPR 2.83; IC95% 2.12-3.8). No statistically significant association was found between exposure to ionizing radiation and other thyroid diseases. Conclusion: In our study, mild ionizing radiation-exposed healthcare workers had a statistically higher prevalence of thyroid diseases than the control group. The results are likely due to a closer and more meticulous health surveillance programme carried out in the ionising radiation-exposed workers, allowing them to identify thyroid alterations earlier than non-exposed health staff.

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P.2.20 Epidemic of bladder cancer in japanese male workers exposed mainly to ortho-toluidine

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oem-2019-epi.253 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. A93.1-A93

Author(s):

Makiko Nakano ◽

Kazuyuki Omae ◽

Yoko Eitaki ◽

Satoko Iwasawa ◽

Kota Fukai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bladder Cancer ◽

Aromatic Amine ◽

Aromatic Amines ◽

Organic Dyes ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

International Agency ◽

Gross Hematuria ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Exposed Workers ◽

Medical Histories

BackgroundIn 2012, ortho-toluidine (OT) was listed as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, based on epidemiologic observations in workers co-exposed to OT and aromatic amines. Between 2014 and 2017, 10 cases of bladder cancer (BC) were identified in Japanese males working at two plants of the same company manufacturing intermediates of organic dyes and pigments.ObjectiveTo describe the features of the BC epidemic at the plants.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of 76 OT and/or aromatic amine-exposed workers including the 10 BC cases at the plants in 2017. The co-exposed aromatic amines were para-toluidine, ortho-anisidine, aniline, 2,4-dimethylaniline, and/or ortho-chloroaniline. Details of each worker’s job-site histories were obtained from the company records. Past medical symptoms and histories were checked in physician interviews. The subjects were divided into the BC group (n=10) and the non-BC group (n=66) and compared. No quantitative exposure data were available. The surrogate level of exposure to each aromatic amine was calculated as the summed job-weight-month in each process in each job-year.ResultsThe mean ages of the non-BC and BC groups were 50 and 56 years and the durations of employment were 23 and 20 years, respectively. The smoking rate in both groups was 80%. Significantly higher rates of gross hematuria (70%) and cystitis (70%) were identified in the BC group’s past medical histories. In the BC group, the surrogate levels of exposure to OT were higher than those of exposures to other aromatic amines. The surrogate levels were high in the job processes of filtering, rinsing, drying and packing products.ConclusionsThe subjects with BC were associated with a high surrogate level of exposure to OT. OT-exposed workers with past histories of gross hematuria and cystitis need a careful follow-up.

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Correlation Between Lead Exposure Indicators and Sister Chromatid Exchange (SCE) Frequencies in Lymphocytes from Inorganic Lead Exposed Workers

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology ◽

10.1007/s002440010244 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 241-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Y. Duydu, H. S. Süzen, A. Aydi

Keyword(s):

Lead Exposure ◽

Sister Chromatid ◽

Sister Chromatid Exchange ◽

Inorganic Lead ◽

Exposed Workers ◽

Exposure Indicators

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The diagnosis of early pneumoconiosis in dust-exposed workers: comparison of chest radiography and computed tomography

Acta Radiologica ◽

10.1177/02841851211022501 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 028418512110225

Author(s):

Hideyuki Hayashi ◽

Kazuto Ashizawa ◽

Masashi Takahashi ◽

Katsuya Kato ◽

Hiroaki Arakawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Computed Tomography ◽

Chest Radiography ◽

Pulmonary Emphysema ◽

Early Stage ◽

Pathological Changes ◽

Occupational History ◽

Exposed Workers ◽

History Of ◽

Ct Data ◽

Positive Results

Background Chest radiography (CR) is employed as the evaluation of pneumoconiosis; however, we sometimes encounter cases in which computed tomography (CT) is more effective in detecting subtle pathological changes or cases in which CR yields false-positive results. Purpose To compare CR to CT in the diagnosis of early-stage pneumoconiosis. Material and Methods CR and CT were performed for 132 workers with an occupational history of mining. We excluded 23 cases of arc-welder’s lung. Five readers who were experienced chest radiologists or pulmonologists independently graded the pulmonary small opacities on CR of the remaining 109 cases. We then excluded 37 cases in which the CT data were not sufficient for grading. CT images of the remaining 72 cases were graded by the five readers. We also assessed the degree of pulmonary emphysema in those cases. Results The grade of profusion on CR (CR score) of all five readers was identical in only 5 of 109 cases (4.6%). The CR score coincided with that on CT in 40 of 72 cases (56%). The CT score was higher than that on CR in 13 cases (18%). On the other hand, the CT score was lower than that on CR in 19 cases (26%). The incidence of pulmonary emphysema was significantly higher in patients whose CR score was higher than their CT score. Conclusion CT is more sensitive than CR in the evaluation of early-stage pneumoconiosis. In cases with emphysema, the CR score tends to be higher in comparison to that on CT.

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