Pulmonary function in aluminium smelter and surrounding community--a case study.

The increase of industrial activities in the Angul-Talcher area, Orissa resulted in indiscriminate disposal of waste into the environment leading to the deterioration of the quality of the environment, which affects the health of the workers as well as the community people. Considering the magnitude of the problem, the pulmonary function study had been carried out in one of the largest aluminium producing plant of the country as well as surrounding community people. Aluminium is produced from oxides of alumina by Hall-Heroult smelting process. The electrolysis called as aluminium smelting is carried out in an electrolytic cell (pot) having anode, cathode and electrolyte. The aluminium is deposited in the cathode and the oxygen moves towards anode is released. The workers working at the captive power plant (CPP), which is necessary to meet the power demand of the smelter plant were also investigated. 180 smelter plants workers (non-smoker 129, smoker-51) of different sections and 37 captive power plant workers (non-smoker 29, smoker-8) had undergone pulmonary function tests. Besides these, 85 persons from the surrounding community (non-smoker-66, smoker-19) were also investigated. The workers were all male. Spirometric assessments of Vital Capacity (VC), Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) were done by Spirovit-sp-10 (Schiller Health Care Ltd, Switzerland) and Wrights Peak flow meter (Clement and Clarke, UK). Different lung volumes like FEV1, FEV1%, and flow rates like FEF200-1200ml, FEF25-75% and FEF75-85% were calculated from the same tracings pulmonary function test (PFT) results of the workers according to different age groups, duration of exposures and smoking habits. The mean values of SVC, FVC and FEV1 of smelter plant workers were found higher compared to the community people but the values of captive power plant workers were very much close to the values of the community people. A gradual decrement of the PFT values was found as duration of exposure increased. Lung volumes and the flow rates were decreased as age increases but in some age groups that trend was not followed. It has been found that in each category of subjects, smokers have the higher mean pulmonary function values compared to the non-smokers. Except the community people in all other cases the different flow rates were found higher in nonsmokers compared to smokers. The restrictive, obstructive and combined restrictive and obstructive types of impairments among the subjects were noticed. The respiratory impairment among the workers as a whole was found higher in smelter plant workers (9.44%) followed by the captive power plant workers (5.40%) and the community people (2.35%). In smelter plant workers both the restrictive and obstructive impairments were found higher compared to captive power plant and the community people.

Environmental monitoring of benzene and toluene produced in indoor air due to combustion of solid biomass fuels.

Exposure to benzene and toluene from the combustion of solid biomass fuels is one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In this study, we assessed the exposure of cooks to benzene and toluene from biomass fuel combustion in 55 rural homes. The GC-MS was used for quantification while a personnel sampler was used for environmental monitoring. The benzene exposure differed significantly (p < 0.0001) across different types of indoor kitchen fuel combinations. The geometrical mean (GM) of benzene exposure for cooks during cooking hours in an indoor kitchen using mixed fuel was 75.3 microg/m3 (with partition) and 63.206 microg/m3 (without partition), while the exposure was 11.7 microg/m3 for open type. The benzene exposure was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in an indoor kitchen with respect to open type using mixed fuels. Concentration of benzene (114.1 microg/m3) for cooks in an indoor kitchen with partition using dung fuel was significantly higher in comparison to non-cooks (5.1 microg/m3) for open type. Benzene exposure was not significantly different for kitchen with ventilation (31.2 microg/m3) and without ventilation (45.0 microg/m3) using wood fuel. However, this value was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than in indoor kitchens with or without partition. An almost similar trend was observed for toluene but the difference was statistically non-significant. This study may be helpful in developing a regional exposure database and in the facilitation of health risk assessment due to volatile organic pollutants in our day-to-day environment.

Acute and chronic health effects due to green tobacco exposure in agricultural workers.

BACKGROUND: An epidemiological study was undertaken in Gujarat, India to study the acute and chronic health effects of occupational exposure to green tobacco. METHODS: Non-Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco is the main crop in many districts of Central Gujarat. Three villages were selected from Anand district for the study and a random sample of 685 exposed workers were examined. Six hundred and fifty-five control workers with the same socio-economic status were examined from two villages where tobacco was not cultivated. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of green tobacco sickness (GTS) was 47.0% among tobacco workers. The prevalence in women workers was 55.7% while in men workers it was 42.66%. To detect the chronic health effects prevalence of hypertension, electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities, and eye problems in all the workers and reproductive abnormalities in women workers, all subjects received a medical examination. The data were compared in exposed and control group but they were non-significant statistically. No case of tobacco amblyopia was detected. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of GTS among non-FCV tobacco workers is high. However, from viewpoint of severity it can be considered as mild acute nicotine toxicity, which is relieved without medication. No significant difference is observed as regards to chronic health effects among tobacco workers and control workers.

Gas chromatographic-mass spectroscopic determination of benzene in indoor air during the use of biomass fuels in cooking time.

A gas chromatography-mass spectroscopic method in electron ionization (EI) mode with MS/MS ion preparation using helium at flow rate 1 ml min(-1) as carrier gas on DB-5 capillary column (30 m x 0.25 mm i.d. film thickness 0.25 microm) has been developed for the determination of benzene in indoor air. The detection limit for benzene was 0.002 microg ml(-1) with S/N: 4 (S: 66, N: 14). The benzene concentration for cooks during cooking time in indoor kitchen using dung fuel was 114.1 microg m(-3) while it was 6.6 microg m(-3) for open type kitchen. The benzene concentration was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in indoor kitchen with respect to open type kitchen using dung fuels. The wood fuel produces 36.5 microg m(-3) of benzene in indoor kitchen. The concentration of benzene in indoor kitchen using wood fuel was significantly (p < 0.01) lower in comparison to dung fuel. This method may be helpful for environmental analytical chemist dealing with GC-MS in confirmation and quantification of benzene in environmental samples with health risk exposure assessment.

Determination of nicotine and cotinine in tobacco harvesters' urine by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography.

A solid-phase extraction method using Drug Test-1 column containing chemically modified silica as a solid support for sample clean up and reversed phase ion-paired high-pressure liquid chromatography method have been developed for the simultaneous determination of nicotine and its metabolite cotinine from the urine samples. Mobile phase was consisted of acetate buffer (containing 0.03 M sodium acetate and 0.1 M acetic acid) pH 3.1 and acetonitrile (78:22% (v/v)) containing 0.02 M sodium octanosulfonate as an ion pair agent. pH of the mobile phase was adjusted to 3.6 with triethylamine for better resolution and to prevent peak tailing. The linearity was obtained in the range of 0.5-10 microg/ml concentrations of nicotine and cotinine standards. The correlation coefficients were 0.998 for cotinine and 0.999 for nicotine. The recoveries were obtained in the range of 79-97% with average value of 85% for nicotine and in the range of 82-98% with average value of 88% for cotinine. The limit of detection was 2 ng/ml for cotinine and 5 ng/ml for nicotine with 2 ml urine for extraction, calculated by taking signal to noise ratio 10:3. The intra-day co-efficient of variation (CV) were <4 and 7% and inter-day CV were <9 and 7% for nicotine and cotinine, respectively. The method was applied to the urine samples of tobacco harvesters, who suffer from green tobacco sickness (GTS) to check the absorption of nicotine through dermal route during the various processes of tobacco cultivation due to its good reproducibility and sensitivity.

Pulmonary function study in the identified critically polluted areas of Talcher (Orissa).

Angul-Talcher area of Orissa is an industrial complex of diversities of industries, which released large number of pollutants into the environment causing environmental pollution and affect the community people as well as the workers working there. Considering the magnitude of the problem pulmonary function study had been carried out in to the community people of this polluted area. The pulmonary function tests (PFT) were carried out in 1099 male and 1072 female subjects except the children below the age of 10 years. Vital capacity (VC) and Forced vital capacity (FVC) were recorded in standing posture. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and its percentage (FEV1%) were calculated. The PFT results indicated that in male and female subjects of 10-19 year age group the FVC values were significantly lowered in exposed villagers in comparison to control subjects. In all other age ranges some of the differences have been found to be significant at various levels. The mean values of FVC and FEV1 were higher in control villagers of most of the age groups than that of the exposed villagers PFT values were also presented according to smoking habit. Restrictive type of PFT impairment were noticed more. The male villagers of Gurjunguli showed the maximum - 40.9% followed by Digghi-39.1%, Kulad-35%, Tentuli- 23.4%, Bonda - 16.3%, Gadarkhai-15.4% and Balanda-13.5%. In females the sequence of having higher incidence rate of restrictive diseases were Digghi-37.0%, Tentuli-29.0%, Gurjunguli-25.3%, Kulad - 21.5%, Gadarkhai - 15.3%, Balanda - 15.3% and Bonda - 13.7%. In control village restrictive impairment were 10.7% in male and 7.4% in females. Obstructive types of impairments are comparatively less than restrictive type of impairments. Control male and female subjects had 7.1% and 5.7% of obstructive impairments and they are mostly belonged to higher age groups. In exposed villages obstructive impairments were found in Godarkhai - 6.4%, Kulad - 5.0%, Digghi - 4.2%, Tentuli - 2.6% and Balanda - 1.8% in males and the corresponding figures 5.0%, Digghi - 4.2%, Tentuli - 2.6% and Balanda - 1.8% in males and the corresponding figures in the females were Gadarkhai - 3.0%, Kulad - 2.6%, Digghi - 3.7% Tentuli - 3.0%) and Balanda - 4.0% respectively. The combined types of impairments were more in exposed subjects and they were belonged to higher age groups. The higher prevalence's might be due to the pollution effects of industries situated in and around the concerned villages. Categorically mild type of obstructive impairments was more in control subjects and they belonged to 50 and above year's age group. It is well known that the higher age accounted for lowering PFT values, which might be in the form of mild obstruction.

Effect of jute dust exposure on ventilatory function and the pertinence of cough and smoking to the response.

The ventilatory capacity of 32 men exposed to jute dust in the jute industry, was estimated at the beginning and end of shifts on the first day and last day of a working week. A detailed occupational, clinical and smoking history was recorded and a more detailed questionnaire on respiratory symptoms was completed prior to the pulmonary function tests. The presence of a productive cough among workers was noted. A mean decrease of forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) was observed among workers according to processes, concentration of dust exposure and smoking habit on the first day and last day of the week. The mean difference of values was observed in most of the comparisons but only a few were statistically significant. Low mean values of FEV1 were observed in workers having high dust exposure, a smoking history and productive cough in comparison to the low dust exposure group, non-smokers and workers without cough symptoms. The significant deterioration of FEV1 was found between before shift and after shift values of the low dust exposed group of workers who had a cough and smoking history. The relevance of these factors on the ventilatory function is observed and discussed.

Pulmonary function studies in 15 to 18 years age workers exposed to dust in industry.

Pulmonary function tests (VC, FEV1% and FEF25-75%) were evaluated in 15 to 18 years age workers employed in slate pencil industry exposed to silica dust, in wool carpet industry exposed to wool dust and in diamond cutting and polishing exposed to carbon dust. These values were compared with the values obtained in clinically healthy non-smokers of the same age group. The results revealed significant impairment of VC in diamond workers, and FEF25-75% in slate pencil workers. When the values were observed according to smoking habits in diamond workers, VC, FEV1 and FEF25-75% were all significantly reduced in smokers whereas in non-smokers only VC was lowered significantly. Among slate pencil workers FEF25-75% was significantly reduced in both smokers and non-smokers. Wool dust exposed workers showed reduced values than normal subjects. The detailed results including the prevalence of various pulmonary impairments were presented.

Occupational health problems among workers handling Virginia tobacco.

The prevalence of "green symptoms" among 289 tobacco workers handling Virginia tobacco leaves was investigated. The frequency of these symptoms was high (53.29%). Urinary excretion rate of nicotine and cotinine increased significantly only among the subjects suffering from "green symptoms".

Rapid progression of silicosis in slate pencil workers: II. A follow-up study.

Findings of the follow-up examination of slate-pencil workers after 16 months are described. The progression of silicosis with this short duration was very rapid with high mortality among those who had conglomerate silicosis at the initial examination. Twenty-three workers had died during this period at a mean age of only 34.7 years, with a mean duration of exposure of 11.9 years. This high mortality is attributed to exposure to high concentrations of silica dust leading to early onset of PMF at a relatively young age. The progression of silicosis within this period was related to the intensity and duration of dust exposure, and also to the severity of silicosis found at the initial examination. Smoking habits had an adverse, though statistically nonsignificant, effect on the evolution of silicosis.