Chronic bronchitis, work related respiratory symptoms, and pulmonary function in welders in New Zealand.

OBJECTIVES: A cross sectional study of respiratory symptoms and lung function in welders was performed at eight New Zealand welding sites: 62 current welders and 75 non-welders participated. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to record demographic data, smoking habit, and current respiratory symptoms. Current and previous welding exposures were recorded to calculate a total lifetime welding fume exposure index. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were measured before the start of the shift. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in ethnicity, smoking habits, or years of work experience between welders and non-welders. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis were more common in current welders (11.3%) than in non-welders (5.0%). Of those workers with a cumulative exposure index to welding fume > or = 10 years, 16.7% reported symptoms of chronic bronchitis compared with 4.7% of those with a cumulative exposure index < 4 years (odds ratio (OR) 4.1, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.90 to 17.6). Workers with chronic bronchitis had significantly lower measures of baseline PEF (p = 0.008) and FEV/FVC ratio (p = 0.001) than workers without chronic bronchitis. Multivariate analysis showed that current smoking (OR 9.3, 1.0 to 86.9) and total exposure index to welding fumes > 10 years (OR 9.5, 1.3 to 71.9) were independent risk factors for chronic bronchitis. The report of any work related respiratory symptom was more prevalent in welders (30.7%) than non-welders (15.0%) and workers with these symptoms had significantly lower FEV, (p = 0.004) and FVC (p = 0.04) values. Multivariate analysis identified a high proportion of time spent welding in confined spaces as the main risk factor for reporting these symptoms (OR 2.8, 1.0 to 8.3). CONCLUSION: This study has documented a high prevalence of symptoms of chronic bronchitis and other work related respiratory symptoms in current welders. Also, workers with chronic bronchitis had reduced PEF and FEV/FVC compared with those without chronic bronchitis. These symptoms related both to cigarette smoking and a measure of lifetime exposure to welding fume.

[1]  D. Ross.  Welders' Metal Fume Fever , 1974 .

[2]  W. Beckett,et al.  The respiratory health of welders. , 1991, The American review of respiratory disease.

[3]  M. Becklake.  Chronic airflow limitation: its relationship to work in dusty occupations. , 1985, Chest.

[4]  J. Peto,et al.  International conference on health hazards and biological effects of welding fumes and gases , 1986 .

[5]  J E Cotes,et al.  Respiratory health of young shipyard welders and other tradesmen studied cross sectionally and longitudinally. , 1995, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[6]  J. Balmes,et al.  Ozone-induced airway inflammation in human subjects as determined by airway lavage and biopsy. , 1993, The American review of respiratory disease.

[7]  D. Cundell,et al.  Human bronchial epithelial cell dysfunction following in vitro exposure to nitrogen dioxide. , 1993, The European respiratory journal.

[8]  W. Haenszel,et al.  Statistical aspects of the analysis of data from retrospective studies of disease. , 1959, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[9]  B Sjögren,et al.  Asthma, lung function, and bronchial responsiveness in welders. , 1994, American journal of industrial medicine.

[10]  E. Dryson,et al.  Exposure to fumes in typical New Zealand welding operations. , 1991, The New Zealand medical journal.

[11]  L. Folinsbee,et al.  Does Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure Increase Airways Responsiveness? , 1992, Toxicology and industrial health.

[12]  I. C. Stevenson,et al.  Longitudinal respiratory survey of shipyard workers: effects of trade and atopic status. , 1990, British journal of industrial medicine.

[13]  F. Adley,et al.  Nitrogen dioxide poisoning due to metal-cutting with oxyacetylene torch. , 1966, Journal of occupational medicine. : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association.

[14]  K. W. Cross,et al.  Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function of welders in the engineering industry. , 1984, Thorax.

[15]  G. Mcmillan.  Studies of the health of welders in naval dockyards. , 1978, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[16]  N. Pearce,et al.  Respiratory symptoms, across-shift lung function changes and lifetime exposures of welders in New Zealand. , 1997, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[17]  U Ulfvarson,et al.  Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function among welders working with aluminum, stainless steel and railroad tracks. , 1985, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[18]  A. Seaton.  Coal and the lung. , 1983, Thorax.

[19]  L. Burmeister,et al.  Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in welders of mild steel: a cross-sectional study. , 1983, American journal of industrial medicine.

[20]  C. Wickham,et al.  Respiratory symptoms and impairment in shipyard welders and caulker/burners. , 1989, British journal of industrial medicine.

[21]  M. Attfield,et al.  Radiological abnormalities in electric-arc welders. , 1978, British journal of industrial medicine.

[22]  D. Jarvis,et al.  The European Community Respiratory Health Survey. , 1994, The European respiratory journal.

[23]  A Fogh,et al.  Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in welders. , 1969, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[24]  A. J. Taylor.  Respiratory irritants encountered at work. , 1996, Thorax.

[25]  David Kriebel,et al.  Research Methods in Occupational Epidemiology , 1989 .

[26]  P. Burge,et al.  Effect of domestic concentrations of nitrogen dioxide on airway responses to inhaled allergen in asthmatic patients , 1994, The Lancet.

[27]  D. Alper,et al.  Chronic effects of welding exposure on pulmonary function tests and respiratory symptoms. , 1995, Occupational and environmental medicine.