Respiratory function in power plant workers exposed to nitrogen dioxide.

BACKGROUND: Power plant workers are potentially exposed to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and may therefore be at higher risk of pulmonary diseases than the general population. AIMS: To assess the association of NO2 exposure with spirometric abnormalities in power plant workers. METHODS: Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory ratio (FER = FEV1/FVC) were correlated with demographic characteristics, smoking history and environmental exposure to NO2 in power plant workers exposed to environmental NO2 at work and in a control group of administrative employees. Twenty-four hour environmental NO2 concentrations were measured at each workplace. RESULTS: The concentrations of environmental NO2 ranged from 1.21 to 7.82 mg m(-3) with a mean value of 3.91 + 1.51 mg m(-3). The results showed that FEV1 and FVC were significantly lower in 347 power plant workers than in the 349 controls (P < 0.001). The FER was significantly correlated with age, environmental NO2 concentration, smoking and height. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational exposure to NO2 emissions in power plants is significantly associated with lung function abnormalities as assessed by spirometry. Spirometric measurements in power plant workers exposed to NO2 emissions may be an effective means of detecting early signs of impaired respiratory health in this group of workers.

[What are the causes and the reason why of diseases prevalence and incidence in occupational sample of women]. / Prevalenza ed incidenza di malattie nelle donne che lavorano: quali e perché.

UNLABELLED: Aim of this study has been the evaluation of health status change among women and men engaged in different occupational activities. METHODS: In a sample of 1,145 women and 3,110, collected in a time span of 10 years, were calculated prevalence and incidence of diseases related to occupational and non occupational variables: physical work load and job timing, civil status and family engagement. Differences between sexes were calculated by X-square and mean difference test. RESULTS: In women subset, cardiovascular and vertebral degenerative disease, skin, wrist and elbow (carpal canal and epicondylitis) pathologies were much more represented than in men's ones. Psychiatric and psychosomatic symptoms and diseases were much more represented in the women sample and furthermore at younger age. In women, heavier work load has been the most responsible factor of degenerative diseases, while shift work of psychiatric and psychosomatic diseases. In the same gender, the stable living together and family charge increased the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases, suggesting an empowering effect coming from the occupation. In conclusion, from data analysis it is possible to speculate that working women's health profile is sensible to various determinants with synergic effect; consequently the clinical emergence of diseases is shown up earlier.

[Smoking habit among workers in Campania region]. / L'abitudine al fumo nei lavoratori Campani.

Smoking is still now the main avoidable cause of disease, disability and mortality in industrialized countries. This habit is still very common in workplaces, where anti-smoke efforts seem to be less incisive than among general populations. The study analyzed the diffusion of smoke habit in 8111 male workers in Campania region, employed in different work activities (white collars, blue collars, drivers, cleaning civil servants, porters), so as to evaluate work related features, affecting its assumption and maintenance. Among all workers, smokers prevalence (42.7%) was higher than national male population. Percentages of smokers were highest among drivers (60.7%) and civil servants (52.5%), slightly lower among industry workers (47.3%) and lower among white collars (36.4%). The highest prevalence were found in 41-50 years age group (46.8%), but only among white collars aging was associated with higher smokers prevalence. Lower education degrees and two working variables, shifts and handwork, have been related with significantly smoking habit assumption. Results emphasized that health promotional programs are necessary to reduce smoke habit among workers, particularly among professionally and culturally unqualified subgroups.

[Risk evaluation of contact with pesticides in Naples municipality gardeners]. / Programma di valutazione del rischio da contatto con antiparassitari nei giardinieri del comune di Napoli.

Pesticide use still now is a remarkable risk for all cultivation operators, including farmers and flower-growing workers. Recently, pesticides use on ornamental plant has been demonstrated to be able to determine a risk extension to general population. Aim of the project was to elaborate and to apply a method for pesticides risk evaluation in ornamental plant cultivations, as to define workers exposure and its possible diffusion to not occupationally exposed populations. Main features of method will be sampling and analysis approach. The first will estimate air dispersion of pesticides in garden centre, skin and garment smarminess in nurserymen and leaf adhered amounts, in concomitance with treatment and periodically to estimate natural decay. The latter will characterize pesticides by means of different methods (liquid and gaseous chromatography, spectrophotometry and spectrometry). Final aim will also be to identify the most reliable analytic method, as concerns accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.

[Burden of COPD on health profiles in different work activities]. / La broncopatia cronico-ostruttiva nella popolazione generale e in popolazioni lavorative.

According to WHO, COPD will be the 5th cause of disability and the 3rd cause of mortality by 2020. Even cigarette smoking represents the main cause of COPD recent studies demonstrated positive association with occupational exposure. In Europe costs of COPD were estimated at about 38,8 billion Euros in 2000; its burden is also expected to increase. Aim of the study is to evaluate the burden of COPD on health profiles in a sample of workers of Campania region. Prevalences were calculated in a sample of 908 male workers, employed in industrial (479) and tertiary (429) sectors. Results were compared with population data of ISTAT database. Higher prevalence of COPD was found in industrial workers (23.4%) than general population (3.5%) and tertiary workers (2.1%). Analysing smoking habits, higher prevalence of smokers in the industrial sector (75.9%) than tertiary (66.4%) was found, but this difference cannot explain the big difference of COPD prevalence between the two groups and suggest a positive interaction between smoking and occupational exposure. In conclusion, the results analysis underlines the burden of COPD on workers' health status, particularly in some work activities. Specific health promotion programs are necessary in these activities.

[Not allergic dermatitis as occupational diseases: a suggestion for an evaluation method]. / La definizione della professionalità delle dermatiti non allergiche: proposta di un metodo di valutazione.

Aim of the study was to propose a method to define the relationship of not allergic contact dermatitis with chemical risk factors in workplace. This method evaluates the skin response to simultaneous chemical and mechanical stimulation, made with a soft bristle brush. The method has been used on 9 cases of not allergic skin diseases, observed from 2000 to 2006 in Occupational Medicine Division of "Federico II" University of Naples. The greatest part of pathologies had the polymorphous pattern of skin inflammation, characterized by subintrant erythema, suspected of occupational origin. In 6 cases a stronger reaction to both chemical and mechanical stimulation was highlighted, confirming a possible occupational etiology. In 1 case the occupational origin was excluded, while in 2 cases the skin response was uncertain. The method does not define all cases of occupational skin pathologies, but it seems to be very useful to diagnostic and insurance needs.

[Frequency of ischemic cardiopathy in different types of work activities]. / Frequenza della cardiopatia ischemica in differenti tipi di attività lavorativa.

The Authors refer the Health Surveillance outcomes on 3185 workers of Campania region from 1996 to 2001: CHD frequencies and relationship between the individual (age, BMI, smoking, serum cholesterol) and the occupational risks factors (work strain and shift). All risk factors increase the frequencies of CHD, but the work strain and the shift determinate an upper increase of the relative risk. The Authors suggest far reaching programs of Health Surveillance, useful to define and to control the specific work risks and to improve the worksite health promotion.