We compared the blood lead and other lead biomarkers between migrant and native workers with a focus on the impact of the legal employment permit system that was effective from 2003, which required employers to provide mandatory annual health examinations for migrant workers on lead biomarkers in 1997 and 2005. The mean blood lead level of migrant workers was 59.5 ± 19.4 μg/dl, yielding 47% of ...

The metabolism of steroid hormones has been investigated in 10 workers exposed to lead and in 10 non-exposed subjects to determine whether lead interferes with the first or second phase reactions of steroid hormone biotransformation, or both. In the exposed workers blood lead concentrations (PbB) ranged from 45 to 69 micrograms/100 ml; in the controls PbB was less than 25 micrograms/100 ml. No ...

Nerve conduction and somatosensory evoked potential studies were undertaken on 46 workers exposed to a combination of organic and inorganic lead. In addition electroencephalograms were carried out on 20 of the workers; the results were compared with those obtained for workers not exposed to lead. The workers exposed to lead had a mean blood lead concentration of 2.35 mumol/l (48.7 micrograms/10...

This paper presents a feasibility study of a wearable helmet in order to protect mine workers specially of goldmines from carbon monoxide poisoning and cyanidation. Carbon monoxide(CO) poisoning is a common problem faced by the workers of coal, gold and many other mines. On the other hand cyanidation problem occurs in gold mines only during ore processing. Current safety systems for mine worker...

The mortality risk of iron ore (haematite) miners between 1970 and 1982 was investigated in a retrospective cohort study of workers from two mines, Longyan and Taochong, in China. The cohort was limited to men and consisted of 5406 underground miners and 1038 unexposed surface workers. Among the 490 underground miners who died, 205 (42%) died of silicosis and silicotuberculosis and 98 (20%) of ...

AIM OF THE CHAPTER To evaluate the usefulness of the electrophysiological tests available, specifically auditory evoked potentials, in the audiological evaluation of pseudohypacusic patients. The main question addressed is: what contribution electrophysiological tests can make to the detection of pseudohypacusis and the determination of thresholds in the difficult-to-test population of mine wor...

Certificated sickness rates and levels of lead exposure of 955 men who worked in a lead accumulator factory during a period of seven years (1965-72) were examined. The men were divided by department into four exposure groups; a second division into three groups was made, based on the mean of each man's blood lead measurements during the study period. Absences showed no age pattern, but men who ...

OBJECTIVE To detect, with a computerised postural sway measurement system, any significant deviation of postural sway parameters among lead workers compared with a control group. METHODS Postural stability was investigated with a computerised postural sway measurement system in 60 workers exposed to lead with a duration of exposure of 84 (range 3-366) months and 60 controls. Sway parameter da...

The neuropsychological performance of a group of 49 workers occupationally exposed to lead was compared with a matched control group of 36 non-exposed workers. The psychometric measurements were composed of tests covering a broad range of different neuropsychological functions, particular emphasis being given to perceptual motor ability and attention concentration functioning. A questionnaire t...