[Occupational exposure to environmental pollution: observational study about a newspaper-agents group]. / Esposizione professionale ad agenti inquinanti ambientali: studio osservazionale su un gruppo di edicolanti della città di Palermo.

UNLABELLED: Environmental pollution constantly menaces urban people's health. This public-health question has a remarkable interest in occupational medicine, because some professions require operations outdoor for most of the day. Therefore airborne pollutants could be considered occupational risk factors. Our object is health evaluation of a newspaper-agents group of Palermo, in association with pollution level monitored during the 2006. We examined these subjects regarding especially lung, ear, kidney, liver and cardiovascular system, with particular consideration for endothelial structure. RESULTS: high prevalence of carotid artery damage can't exclude a concausal role of airborne pollutants.

[Usefulness of HbCO level determination in chronic exposure to low environmental concentrations of CO. Study of a group of exposed workers]. / Utilità del dosaggio della HbCO nell'esposizione cronica a basse concentrazioni ambientali di CO. Indagine su un campione di esposti.

This research is based on consideration that HbCO sampling, routinely effected on environmental physician demand for workers' biological monitoring, has a low significance. To confirm or reject this statement, we considered two population groups: n. 583 exposed workers and n. 334 not exposed subjects as control group. The habit of smoking (either as number of cigarettes or as time elapsed between the drawn and the last smoked cigarette) was obviously considered on both groups. The results have shown that it isn't possible to acknowledge the effect of a low CO occupational pollution by using HbCO haematic sampling. The A.A. affirm that it's due to low pollution level in work place and to wrong praxis of haematic sampling performed after a long time from the end of working turn. The research showed a direct correlation between HbCO level and smoking habit and a strong association between time elapsed from last smoked cigarette and haematic sampling.

[Primary prevention: environmental modification and changes in chronic respiratory pathology in workers in a metallurgical industry]. / In tema di prevenzione primaria: modifiche ambientali e variazioni della patologia respiratoria cronica in lavoratori di una industria metalmeccanica.

The authors analyse the data connected with chronic pulmonary diseases (mainly bronchitis) of two groups of workers, both belonging to the same metallurgical factory. The data is taken in two different periods, before and after the introduction of measures for primary prevention in the factory. The results confirm that the overall cases of pulmonary diseases are greatly reduced by a correct improvement in the working environment. Moreover, they confirm that a dangerous working environment affects the breathing system more prominently then other factors such as smoking, etc.