Respiratory diseases in arc welders

SummaryThe prevalence of respiratory symptoms, determined with the Medical Research Council's questionnaire, the impairment of lung function (FVC, FEV1, FEV%) and the occurence of pulmonary radiographic findings were investigated in a group of 157 electric arc welders and 108 controls. Environmental measurements were made in the workplaces of 88 of the examined welders.The welders had simple chronic bronchitis more often than did the unexposed men (p < 0.01), but no dose-response relationship was found when the prevalence of simple chronic bronchitis was compared with time and level of exposure. The means of the lung function values of the welders with and without simple chronic bronchitis did not differ from each other. The prevalence of mucopurulent chronic bronchitis was the same in the welders and the controls.No significant differences between the two groups were found for lung function, the radiographic findings and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, except for simple chronic bronchitis. However, the welders reported frequent colds, sore throats, hoarseness and fevers more often than the unexposed men did.