Occupational exposure to anaesthetic gases and urinary excretion of D-glucaric acid

Abstract In order to ascertain whether the urinary excretion of D-glucaric acid (DGA) might be a suitable biomarker of effect in monitoring workers exposed to anaesthetic gases, we measured DGA before and after an operating session (and, in some workers, before and after a 2-week vacation) in 229 workers of surgical units and in 229 controls. In the former, we also measured urinary levels of nitrous oxide (N2O) and isoflurane after at least 4 h of exposure. For all subjects, information on age, smoking habits, daily intake of alcohol, coffee, and drugs, history of liver or kidney disease was collected. Study subjects were ranked according to: exposure (class 0: subjects not exposed; class 1: N2O 1 \u3bcg 1-1; class 3: N2O >27 \u3bcg l-1 and isoflurane 27 \u3bcg l-1 and isoflurane >1 \u3bcg l-1); general habits; and DGA (two groups, below and above the arbitrary cut-off value of 3.5 mmol mol-1 creatinine). The relative risk of presenting high DGA excretion was estimated through the Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). In univariate analysis, ORs increased from class 1 (lowest exposure) to class 4 (highest exposure) and with increases in coffee and cigarette consumption. The ORs adjusted for sex, age, creatinine, and alcohol and coffee intake, conventionally 1.0 in the control group, were 0.68 (CI=0.33-1.38), 2.68 (CI=1.36-5.27), 2.68 (CI=1.21-4.90) and 3.73 (CI=1.51-9.18) respectively in exposure classes 1, 2, 3 and 4. By contrast, individual levels of DGA did not correlate with urinary concentrations of anaesthetic gases. Moreover, no significant differences in DGA levels were observed between urine samples taken before and immediately after a workshift, nor between samples collected before and after at least 2 weeks vacation. In conclusion, DGA excretion cannot be used as an individual biomarker of effect in workers exposed to anaesthetic gases. Since effects on hepatic function were not found at lower concentrations (exposure class 1), the currently adopted threshold limits (isoflurane: 1 \u3bcg 1-1; and N2O: 27 \u3bcg 1-1) appear sufficiently protective

Inquinamento da percloroetilene nelle lavanderie a secco della provincia di Paodva: dati preliminari.

no abstract availabl

Kidney and liver biomarkers in female dry-cleaning workers exposed to perchloroethylene

Blood and urine perchloroethylene and urine trichloroacetic acid, as markers of exposure, and serum AST, ALT, GGT and creatinine, urine total solutes and proteins, angiotensin converting enzyme, N-acetyl- f-D-glucosaminidase and glutamine synthetase, as markers of effect, were measured in 40 dry-cleaning and 45 ironing-shop female workers. Average perchloroethylene air level in the dry-cleaning shops was 59.7 mg/m3, i.e. three fold lower than the current A.C.G.I.H. TLV-TWA (170 mg/m3). No statistically significant difference in the mean values of any of the effect markers was observed between the two groups, except for AST which was significantly higher in dry-cleaners. In addition, a statistically significant correlation was observed in dry-cleaners between environmental perchloroethylene and total urinary solutes (r=0.308, p<0.05) or urine glutamine synthetase (r=0.469, p<0.01), between glutamine synthetase and blood perchloroethylene in post-shift (r=0.406, p<0.01) or urinary perchloroethylene in post- (r=0.571, p<0.001) or pre-shift (r=0.586, p<0.001), and between urinary perchloroethylene in pre-shift and GGT (r=0.407, p<0.05). Interestingly, some statistically significant correlations between exposure and effect indices were also found in ironing-shop workers alone and in all subjects. Finally, transaminases, GGT and total urinary proteins were influenced by age and alcohol consumption which were significantly higher in dry-cleaners, thus providing an explanation for some of the correlations observed. In conclusion, our results show a dose-related increase of glutamine synthetase activity, a marker of damage of the pars recta of the kidney proximal tubule, in the urine of female subjects exposed to perchloroethylene concentrations in the work environment lower than current A.C.G.I.H. TLV-TWA

Esposizione professionale a campi elettromagnetici negli ambulatori di fisioterapia

Abstract An assessment of the electromagnetic fields emitted from short and ultrashort wave diathermy sources and from magneto therapy operating at a frequency of 50 Hz was made to evaluate the occupational exposure to the operators. Operators were exposed to electromagnetic fields which rarely exceed the recommended limits of International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Only a measurement of electromagnetic fields near short wave diathermy equipment operating at a frequency of 27.12 MHz exposed operators to levels above those recommended by ICNIRP at a distance of 1 metre. Magnetic fields of magneto therapy exceeded residential exposition of 1 microtesla, at a distance of 4 metres

Audiometria ad alta frequenza ed esposizione lavorativa ad ultrasuoni: risultati preliminari

Abstract The aim was to investigate the hearing thresholds in the conventional frequencies (0.25-8 kHz) as well as in the high frequency range (9-18 kHz) and the presence of subjective sympthoms in a group of 14 workers exposed to ultrasound in a glasses manufactory. In order to get reference values, 14 non exposed subjects were tested. Ultrasound emitted by industrial ultrasonic cleaning baths exceeded twice the ACGIH TLV-C for frequencies 20 and 25 kHz. The exposed subjects had significantly higher hearing thresholds than non-exposed subjects at frequencies at or above 10 kHz, the loss being greatest (more than 15 dB) at 12, 13 e 14 kHz. These hearing losses were already evident in subjects with exposure of less than 10 years and increased with years of exposure and advancing age. Subjective sympthoms such as headache, asthenia and vertigo were more frequently reported by the exposed than by the non exposed subjects, even if the differences were not statistically significant