Ventilatory capacities of 73 Libyan men working in the Asbestos-Cement Pipe factory in Jenzur, a residential area near Tripoli, Libya and those of 73 age-matched healthy Libyan men unexposed to asbestos were determined. The mean values of forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) for men unexposed to asbestos were 3.89 +/- 0.084 and 3.64 +/- 0.082 liters respec...

Capsaicin causes direct irritation of the eyes, mucous membranes, and respiratory tract. It is used in self-defense, in crowd control, and as a less lethal weapon in police work. Controlled trials suggest that capsaicin has minimal serious acute effects. Herein, we report a woman who had a 20-minute exposure to capsaicin during a jail riot. She subsequently developed episodic dyspnea and cough,...

The aims of the study were to investigate occupational exposure and the exposure routes of coal tar creosote, and to evaluate the suitability of methods for monitoring occupational exposure to the PAHs in creosote. The composition of four creosotes used in Finland was studied by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Creosotes contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (over 60%), phenols, and het...

The relationship between weather and influenza and pneumonia mortality was examined retrospectively using daily data from 1980 to 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand, a humid, subtropical location. Mortality events, defined when mortality exceeded 0·95 standard deviation above the mean, followed periods of anomalously cold air (ta.m. = -4·1, P < 0·01; tp.m. = -4·2, P < 0·01) and/or anomalously dry ai...

Occupational exposure to high-molecular-weight allergens is a risk factor for the development and pathogenesis of IgE-mediated respiratory disease. In some occupational environments, workers are at an increased risk of exposure to fungal enzymes used in industrial production. Fungal enzymes have been associated with adverse health effects in the work place, in particular in baking occupations. ...

BACKGROUND Few studies have been carried out on acute effects of cement dust exposure. This study is conducted to investigate the associations between current "total" dust exposure and acute respiratory symptoms and respiratory function among cement factory workers. METHODS A combined cross-sectional and cross-shift study was conducted in Dire Dawa cement factory in Ethiopia. 40 exposed produ...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between change in lung function and cumulative exposure to wood dust. In total, 1,112 woodworkers (927 males, 185 females) and 235 reference workers (104 males, 185 females) participated in a 6-yr longitudinal study. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)), forced vital capacity (FVC), height and weight were measured, and ...

BACKGROUND The causation of asthma is poorly understood. Risk factors for atopic and non-atopic asthma may be different. This study aimed to analyze the associations between markers of poverty, dirt and infections and wheezing in atopic and non-atopic children. METHODS 1445 children were recruited from a population-based cohort in Salvador, Brazil. Wheezing was assessed using the ISAAC questi...

OBJECTIVE We set out to assess whether environmental prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is associated with incidence of acute respiratory infections in preschool Inuit children. STUDY DESIGN We reviewed the medical charts of 343 children from 0 to 5 years of age and evaluated the associations between PCB-153 concentration in umbilical cord plasma and the incidence rates of ...

background: according to the growth of photocopier usage in workplaces, the potential risk of occupational exposure to the airborne chemicals has been raised up. hence, monitoring the photocopy worker's respiratory functions seems to be necessary. we aimed to evaluate the respiratory health on photocopy and printing workers so that a reliable description can be made about their occupational hyg...