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ObjectiveTo explore the impact of the interaction between occupational and non-occupational noise exposure on the risk of high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) in noise-exposed workers. Methods A total of 602 male workers with normal hearing, engaged in an automobile manufacturing company between 2016 and 2018, were selected as the study subjects using the retrospective cohort study method. Pure-tone audiometry and questionnaire surveys were conducted on the workers. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model were used to analyze the interaction between occupational and non-occupational noise exposure and the risk of HFHL in these workers. Results The prevalence of HFHL of the workers was 34.1% in 2020, without any cases of speech frequency hearing loss. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis result showed that the risk of HFHL increased in workers with excessive national occupational noise exposure intensity, self-reported noisy living environments, and both excessive national occupational noise exposure intensity and self-reported noisy living environments (all P<0.01). The results of the Cox proportional hazards model showed that the combined effect of excessive national occupational noise exposure intensity and self-reported noisy living environments [relative risk (RR)=2.40, P<0.01] was higher than the individual effects of excessive national occupational noise exposure intensity (RR=2.09, P<0.01) and self-reported noisy living environments (RR=2.39, P<0.01). There was an antagonistic effect between excessive national occupational noise exposure intensity and self-reported noisy living environments (interaction index <1.00). Conclusion Both occupational and non-occupational noise exposure can increase the risk of HFHL in noise-exposed workers, and there is an interaction between them.
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ObjectiveTo analyze the research status and trends in low-level occupational benzene exposure. Methods Articles on low-level occupational benzene exposure from Chinese and English journals from January 1st, 2000, to December 31th, 2022 were retrieved using the Web of Science and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and a bibliometric analysis was conducted. Results A total of 327 articles were included in the analysis, comprising 216 English articles and 111 Chinese articles. i) The number of articles published in English fluctuates greatly over the years, without a trend of continuous growth or decline. Authors from 359 research institutions in 45 countries and regions have published relevant English articles in 97 kinds of journals, involving 281 grants from 226 foundations. The top three countries in terms of articles amount were the United States, Italy, and China, with 81, 46, and 43 papers, respectively. The English articles mainly focused on mechanistic research at the genetic level, such as hematotoxicity, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. ii) The number of Chinese articles increased gradually after 2012, with the growth peak in 2017. Authors from 127 research institutions in 26 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities published Chinese articles in 51 kinds of journals, involving 154 grants from 78 foundations. Chinese articles tended to focus on benzene-induced hematotoxicity and occupational health damage. Conclusion Most studies on low-level occupational benzene exposure were conducted in China, the United States and Italy, focused on hematotoxicity. Monitoring international research topics and hotspots of the field has certain reference value for related research in China.
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OBJECTIVE: To explore the combined effect of noise and other occupational hazards on hearing impairment and electrocardiograph(ECG) of workers in automobile manufacturing enterprises. METHODS: A judgment sampling method was used to select 3 434 workers as study subjects from an automobile manufacture enterprise. According to the exposure to different types of occupational hazardous factors, they were divided into noise series group, noise dust group, noise welding dust group, noise benzene series group, noise nitrogen oxide group and control group, with 716, 693, 1 540, 45, 195 and 245 cases in each group, respectively. The subjects were examined with pure-tone hearing test and ECG. RESULTS: The total rate of high frequency hearing loss was 11.2%(385/3 434), and high frequency hearing loss was the main type of hearing loss among workers in each group. The simple high-frequency hearing loss rates of noise group, noise dust group, noise welding dust group, noise benzene series group, noise nitrogen oxide group and the control group were 10.3%, 11.5%, 12.3%, 26.7%, 10.3% and 4.1% respectively, and the rate of total hearing loss were 13.7%, 14.6%, 14.6%, 31.1%, 16.9% and 6.5% respectively. Compared with the control group, the rate of simple high-frequency hearing loss and total hearing loss were higher in the other 5 groups(P<0.005). The rate of high-frequency hearing loss in noise group was lower than that in noise benzene series group(P<0.005). The rate of arrhythmia was 20.9%(717/3 434). Arrhythmia was the main type of ECG abnormality in all groups. The rates of arrhythmia in noise group, noise dust group, noise welding dust group, noise benzene series group, noise nitrogen oxide group and control group were 16.9%, 16.6%, 27.9%, 17.8%, 13.8% and 6.9%, respectively. The rate of arrhythmia in noise welding dust group was higher than that in noise group(P<0.005). CONCLUSION: The combined effect of noise and benzene series increases the risk of high-frequency hearing loss in workers. The combined effect of noise and welding dust increases the risk of arrhythmia in workers.
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Objective@#To investigate the prevalence of breast and gynecological diseases in female workers in the administrative office and workshop of an automobile part factory, and to provide a basis for promoting the health of female workers.@*Methods@#In March 2015, color ultrasound examination of the breast, uterus, and bilateral adnexa was performed for all female workers, and routine gynecological examination, routine leucorrhea examination, and thinprep liquid-based cytology test were performed for married female workers. The detection rates of breast and gynecological diseases in female workers in the administrative office and workshop were analyzed.@*Results@#In the 314 female workers, the overall detection rate of breast and gynecological diseases was 86.31%; the detection rate of abnormal breast ultrasound results was 72.93%, mainly breast hyperplasia; the detection rate of abnormal gynecological ultrasound results was 12.14%, mainly hysteromyoma, pelvic effusion, and uterus-rectum fossa effusion. The overall detection rate of cervicitis or vaginitis in married female workers was 66.86%. The univariate analysis showed that compared with those in the administrative office, the female workers in the workshop had significantly higher detection rates of breast hyperplasia and grade 2 breast lesions on the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) and significantly lower detection rates of hysteromyoma and grade 3 breast lesions on the BI-RADS (all P <0.05) . The multivariate analysis showed that age was a risk factor for hysteromyoma (OR=1.261) , age and working in the workshop were risk factors for breast hyperplasia (OR=1.065 and 1.834) , married status was a protective factor against breast hyperplasia and grade 2 breast lesions on the BI-RADS (OR=0.334 and 0.450) , and working in workshop was a risk factor for grade 2 breast lesions on the BI-RADS (OR=1.890) and a protective factor against grade 3 breast lesions on the BI-RADS (OR=0.355) .@*Conclusion@#Female workers in an automobile part factory have high prevalence rates of breast and gynecological diseases. Night shifts for female workers in the workshop should be reduced as much as possible, and female workers, especially those in the administrative office, should be guided to release pressure and take a balanced diet.