Prevalence of systemic arterial hypertension, electrocardiogram abnormalities, and noise-induced hearing loss in agricultural workers.

ABSTRACT The literature suggests that farmers nowadays are more likely to contract cardiovascular diseases than in the past. This study involved 79 farmers and 64 controls. The workers completed a questionnaire to identify exclusion factors for audiological and cardiovascular risk factors. The participants underwent medical examination, measurement of blood pressure, electrocardiogram, blood tests, audiometry, and measurement of noise exposure. The farmers were found to have a higher prevalence of systolic and diastolic arterial hypertension as well as electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities compared with the controls. A significant prevalence of arterial hypertension was detected in the farmers exposed to noise, when compared with those who were not exposed. These results suggest that farmers are at risk of cardiovascular effects and that noise is a cardiovascular risk factor for farmers.

[Shift and night work and mental health]. / Lavoro a turni e notturno e salute mentale.

Aim of our study was to evaluate the influence that shift work and night work could have on mental health. A review of literary articles from 1990 to 2011 on shift work and night work was carried out. The results of this review confirmed that the shift work and night work affect mental health with the onset of neuropsychological disorders such as mood disorders, anxiety, nervousness, depressive anxiety syndromes, chronic fatigue and chronic insomnia irritability, sleep disturbances, reduction in levels of attention, cognitive impairments, alteration of circadian rhythm. Night work and shift work cause severe desynchronization of the cronobiological rhythms and a disruption of social life with negative effects on performance at work, on health and on social relationships. In the light of these results and recognizing shift work and night work as risk factors for the health of workers is necessary to implement preventive and periodic health checks by the occupational doctor to ensure the health and safety of workers taking account of the different environmental and individual factors.

Environmental and biological monitoring of arsenic in outdoor workers exposed to urban air pollutants.

The aim of this study is to evaluate personal exposure to As in urban air in two groups of outdoor workers (traffic policemen and police drivers) of a big Italian city through: (a) environmental monitoring of As obtained by personal samples and (b) biological monitoring of total urinary As. The possible influence of smoking habit on urinary As was evaluated. We studied 122 male subjects, all Municipal Police employees: 84 traffic policemen and 38 police drivers exposed to urban pollutants. Personal exposure to As in air was significantly higher in traffic policemen than in police drivers (p=0.03). Mean age, length of service, alcohol drinking habit, number of cigarettes smoked/day and BMI were comparable between the groups of subjects studied. All subjects were working in the same urban area where they had lived for at least 5 yrs. Dietary habits and consumption of water from the water supply and/or mineral water were similar in traffic policemen and in police drivers. The values of total urinary As were significantly higher in traffic policemen (smokers and non smokers) than in police drivers (smokers and non smokers) (p=0.02). In the subgroup of non-smokers the values of total urinary As were significantly higher in traffic policemen than in police drivers (p=0.03). In traffic policemen and in police drivers total urinary As values were significantly correlated to the values of As in air (respectively r=0.9 and r=0.8, p<0.001). This is the first research in literature studying the exposure to As in outdoor workers occupationally exposed to urban pollutants, such as traffic policemen and police drivers. Personal exposure to As in the air, as well as the urinary excretion of As, is significantly higher in traffic policemen compared to drivers. These results can provide information about exposure to As in streets and in car for other categories of outdoor workers similarly exposed.

Professional exposure to urban stressors and effects on urinary metanephrines.

The aim of the study is to assess whether occupational exposure to urban stressors could cause alterations in urinary metanephrines levels in traffic policemen vs administrative staff of municipal police. A total of 258 subjects were included in the study: 129 traffic policemen exposed to urban stressors (68 males and 61 females) and 129 controls (68 males and 61 females). Urinary metanephrines mean levels were significantly higher in male traffic policemen compared to controls (p < 0.01). No significant differences were in female traffic policemen compared to controls. In the control group, urinary metanephrines mean levels were significantly higher in females compared to males (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in urinary metanephrines mean levels in female traffic policemen vs male traffic policemen. The increase in urinary metanephrines mean levels observed in male exposed compared to controls could be related to chronic occupational exposure to low doses of chemical, physical and psychosocial urban stressors.

[Stress and new technologies]. / Stress e nuove tecnologie.

The relation between stress and new technologies has always been a vexed question. Experts say technology is a sort of double-edged weapon; it increases the potential of human senses but on the other hand it also involves an adjustment to artificial, unnatural rhythms which have consequences on mental and physical health. Through tests with patients not too prone to socializing Cognitive Ergonomics shows that using web in a correct guided interactive way, instead of the passive way of using media, helps developing concentration and reactivity and improves the way we come into contact with the world around us.

Exposure to urban stressors and free testosterone plasma values.

OBJECTIVES: The chemical agents present in the environment, such as traffic pollutants, may affect male fertility. Traffic policemen are daily exposed to traffic pollutants. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether occupational exposure to urban stressors could cause alterations in free testosterone plasma values in male traffic policemen versus administrative staff of Municipal Police of a big Italian city. METHODS: Both groups were divided into two subgroups based on age (first group: 30-40 years; second group: 41-50 years) to assess whether age could affect laboratory results of free testosterone plasma levels in traffic policemen versus controls. The characterization of exposure to urban pollutants for traffic policemen was assessed using the concentrations of pollutants monitored in fixed stations. A total of 220 subjects were studied: 110 traffic policemen and 110 controls, after excluding subjects with main confounding factors. RESULTS: Mean free testosterone values were significantly lower in traffic policemen than in controls (P < 0.001). Such statistical reduction persisted stratifying the mean testosterone values for classes of age (30-40 and 41-50 year) of workers (respectively P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). The distribution into classes of testosterone values in traffic policemen and in controls was significant (P < 0.001), and this result persisted after the stratification for classes of age of workers (30-40 year: P < 0.001) (41-50 year: P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: According to data in literature, free testosterone plasma levels could be used as an early biological marker, to be employed in occupational sets, valuable for the group, even before the onset of values out of range and of fertility disorders.