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Tehrani AM, Berijani N, Hajiketabi S, Samadi M. Tracking bioaerosol exposure among municipal solid waste workers using hematological and inflammatory biomarkers. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 352:124124. [PMID: 38723706 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
High levels of bioaerosols may exist in the air of municipal solid waste (MSW) management facilities, constituting a significant occupational hazard for workers. In this study, we investigated the potential association between exposure to bioaerosols and inflammatory biomarkers among municipal solid waste workers (MSWWs) at both the landfill site and the municipal solid waste transfer station (MSWTS), in comparison to a control group without exposure. Air sampling was conducted at six points around the landfill, two points at the MSWTS, and one point in a public park (as a control area) during the spring and summer of 2019. The results of our study revealed that airborne pathogens were highly prevalent at the sampling points, especially in the active zone and leachate collection pond. Aspergillus species were the predominant fungal species detected in this study, with the highest occurrence observed for Aspergillus flavus (83.3%), Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus fumigatus (75.0%). Furthermore, Staphylococcus species accounted for over 75% of the total bacterial bioaerosols detected across all study areas. The blood test results of workers revealed a significant increase in platelets (PLT), immunoglobulin G (IgG), white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, basophils, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) compared to the control group. Conversely, platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) in the exposed subjects exhibited a decreasing trend compared to the control group. These findings suggest a potential association between exposure to bioaerosols, particularly in the vicinity of open dumpsites, and elevated levels of hematologic and inflammatory markers in circulation. Furthermore, the influence of smoking status and confounding factors appears to be significant in both the control and exposure groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf Mazaheri Tehrani
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | | | - Sajjad Hajiketabi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Student Research Committee, Faculty of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mohammadtaghi Samadi
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
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Alkorta I, Garbisu C. Expanding the focus of the One Health concept: links between the Earth-system processes of the planetary boundaries framework and antibiotic resistance. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2024; 0:reveh-2024-0013. [PMID: 38815132 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2024-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The scientific community warns that our impact on planet Earth is so acute that we are crossing several of the planetary boundaries that demarcate the safe operating space for humankind. Besides, there is mounting evidence of serious effects on people's health derived from the ongoing environmental degradation. Regarding human health, the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria is one of the most critical public health issues worldwide. Relevantly, antibiotic resistance has been claimed to be the quintessential One Health issue. The One Health concept links human, animal, and environmental health, but it is frequently only focused on the risk of zoonotic pathogens to public health or, to a lesser extent, the impact of contaminants on human health, i.e., adverse effects on human health coming from the other two One Health "compartments". It is recurrently claimed that antibiotic resistance must be approached from a One Health perspective, but such statement often only refers to the connection between the use of antibiotics in veterinary practice and the antibiotic resistance crisis, or the impact of contaminants (antibiotics, heavy metals, disinfectants, etc.) on antibiotic resistance. Nonetheless, the nine Earth-system processes considered in the planetary boundaries framework can be directly or indirectly linked to antibiotic resistance. Here, some of the main links between those processes and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance are described. The ultimate goal is to expand the focus of the One Health concept by pointing out the links between critical Earth-system processes and the One Health quintessential issue, i.e., antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itziar Alkorta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) , Bilbao, Spain
| | - Carlos Garbisu
- NEIKER - Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
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Ohlander J, Kromhout H, Vermeulen R, Portengen L, Kendzia B, Savary B, Cavallo D, Cattaneo A, Migliori E, Richiardi L, Plato N, Wichmann HE, Karrasch S, Consonni D, Landi MT, Caporaso NE, Siemiatycki J, Gustavsson P, Jöckel KH, Ahrens W, Pohlabeln H, Fernández-Tardón G, Zaridze D, Jolanta Lissowska JL, Beata Swiatkowska BS, John K Field JKF, McLaughlin JR, Demers PA, Pandics T, Forastiere F, Fabianova E, Schejbalova M, Foretova L, Janout V, Mates D, Barul C, Brüning T, Behrens T, Straif K, Schüz J, Olsson A, Peters S. Respirable crystalline silica and lung cancer in community-based studies: impact of job-exposure matrix specifications on exposure-response relationships. Scand J Work Environ Health 2024; 50:178-186. [PMID: 38264956 PMCID: PMC11064806 DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.4140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The quantitative job-exposure matrix SYN-JEM consists of various dimensions: job-specific estimates, region-specific estimates, and prior expert ratings of jobs by the semi-quantitative DOM-JEM. We analyzed the effect of different JEM dimensions on the exposure-response relationships between occupational silica exposure and lung cancer risk to investigate how these variations influence estimates of exposure by a quantitative JEM and associated health endpoints. METHODS Using SYN-JEM, and alternative SYN-JEM specifications with varying dimensions included, cumulative silica exposure estimates were assigned to 16 901 lung cancer cases and 20 965 controls pooled from 14 international community-based case-control studies. Exposure-response relationships based on SYN-JEM and alternative SYN-JEM specifications were analyzed using regression analyses (by quartiles and log-transformed continuous silica exposure) and generalized additive models (GAM), adjusted for age, sex, study, cigarette pack-years, time since quitting smoking, and ever employment in occupations with established lung cancer risk. RESULTS SYN-JEM and alternative specifications generated overall elevated and similar lung cancer odds ratios ranging from 1.13 (1st quartile) to 1.50 (4th quartile). In the categorical and log-linear analyses SYN-JEM with all dimensions included yielded the best model fit, and exclusion of job-specific estimates from SYN-JEM yielded the poorest model fit. Additionally, GAM showed the poorest model fit when excluding job-specific estimates. CONCLUSION The established exposure-response relationship between occupational silica exposure and lung cancer was marginally influenced by varying the dimensions of SYN-JEM. Optimized modelling of exposure-response relationships will be obtained when incorporating all relevant dimensions, namely prior rating, job, time, and region. Quantitative job-specific estimates appeared to be the most prominent dimension for this general population JEM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Ohlander
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Jalasto J, Luukkonen R, Lindqvist A, Langhammer A, Kankaanranta H, Backman H, Rönmark E, Sovijärvi A, Piirilä P, Kauppi P. Occupational exposure to vapors, gasses, dusts, and fumes in relation to causes of death during 24 years in Helsinki, Finland. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2024; 97:145-154. [PMID: 38112780 PMCID: PMC10876715 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-023-02031-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Environmental particulate matter (PM) exposure has been shown to cause excess all-cause and disease-specific mortality. Our aim was to compare disease-specific mortality by estimated occupational exposure to vapors, gasses, dusts, and fumes (VGDF). METHODS The data source is the Helsinki part of the population-based FinEsS study on chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases including information on age, education level, main occupation, sex, and tobacco smoking combined with death registry information. We compared estimated VGDF exposure to mortality using adjusted competing-risks regression for disease-specific survival analysis for a 24-year follow-up. RESULTS Compared to the no-exposure group, the high occupational VGDF exposure group had sub-hazard ratios (sHR) of 1.7 (95% CI 1.3-2.2) for all cardiovascular-related and sHR 2.1 (1.5-3.9) for just coronary artery-related mortality. It also had sHR 1.7 (1.0-2.8) for Alzheimer's or vascular dementia-related mortality and sHR 1.7(1.2-2.4) for all respiratory disease-related mortality. CONCLUSION Long-term occupational exposure to VGDF increased the hazard of mortality- to cardiovascular-, respiratory-, and dementia-related causes. This emphasizes the need for minimizing occupational long-term respiratory exposure to dust, gasses, and fumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juuso Jalasto
- Department of Clinical Physiology, HUS Medical Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, PL 281, 00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland.
| | | | - Ari Lindqvist
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Hospital and Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Arnulf Langhammer
- Department of Public Health and Nursing, HUNT Research Centre, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Levanger, Norway
- Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Hospital Trust, Levanger, Norway
| | - Hannu Kankaanranta
- Krefting Research Centre, Institute of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Seinäjoki Central Hospital, Seinäjoki, Finland
- Respiratory Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Helena Backman
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, The OLIN Unit, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Eva Rönmark
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, The OLIN Unit, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anssi Sovijärvi
- Department of Clinical Physiology, HUS Medical Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, PL 281, 00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Päivi Piirilä
- Department of Clinical Physiology, HUS Medical Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, PL 281, 00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paula Kauppi
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Hospital and Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
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Zheng XY, Zheng YJ, Liao TT, Xu YJ, Liu L, Wang Y, Xiao N, Li C, He ZX, Tan XM, Meng RL, Guan WJ, Lin LF. Effects of occupational exposure to dust, gas, vapor and fumes on chronic bronchitis and lung function. J Thorac Dis 2024; 16:356-367. [PMID: 38410603 PMCID: PMC10894404 DOI: 10.21037/jtd-23-646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and therefore the identification of the modifiable risk factors [such as exposure to vapors, gases, dust and fumes (VGDF)] for accelerate disease progression has important significance. Methods We conducted COPD surveillance in six cities of southern China between 2014 and 2019. We recorded the diagnosis of chronic bronchitis, respiratory symptoms, occupational exposure to VGDF and other covariates by using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression and multivariate linear regression model were adopted for analysis. We performed sensitivity analyses based on two methods of propensity score (PS) methods to evaluate the robustness of our results. Results A total of 7,418 participants were included. Cough [odds ratios (ORs): 1.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22 to 2.08] and phlegm (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.19 to 1.85) correlated significantly with exposure to dust. There was an increased risk of cough (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.11 to 2.07) for occupational exposure to gas/vapor/fume. Dual exposure to dust and gas/vapor/fume was associated with a significantly increased risk of chronic bronchitis (OR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.20 to 2.52), cough (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.79) and phlegm (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.24 to 1.79). In 5,249 participants with complete data of spirometry, gas/vapor/fume was associated with a decreased ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) (β: -1.05, 95% CI: -1.85 to -0.26) and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) (β: -0.15, 95% CI: -0.23 to -0.07). Dual exposure to dust and gas/vapor/fume was significantly associated with decreased FEV1/FVC (β: -0.74, 95% CI: -1.28 to -0.20) and MMEF (β: -0.06, 95% CI: -0.12 to -0.01). Results of sensitivity analysis were not materially changed. Conclusions VGDF exposure is associated with chronic bronchitis, respiratory symptoms and decreased lung function, suggesting that VGDF contributes to the pathogenesis and progression of COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Yan Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi-Jin Zheng
- Department of Elderly Health Management, Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ting-Ting Liao
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
- School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Jun Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ye Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ni Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuan Li
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhao-Xuan He
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Min Tan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui-Lin Meng
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei-Jie Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Feng Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
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Wan W, Peters S, Portengen L, Olsson A, Schüz J, Ahrens W, Schejbalova M, Boffetta P, Behrens T, Brüning T, Kendzia B, Consonni D, Demers PA, Fabiánová E, Fernández-Tardón G, Field JK, Forastiere F, Foretova L, Guénel P, Gustavsson P, Jöckel KH, Karrasch S, Landi MT, Lissowska J, Barul C, Mates D, McLaughlin JR, Merletti F, Migliore E, Richiardi L, Pándics T, Pohlabeln H, Siemiatycki J, Świątkowska B, Wichmann HE, Zaridze D, Ge C, Straif K, Kromhout H, Vermeulen R. Occupational Benzene Exposure and Lung Cancer Risk: A Pooled Analysis of 14 Case-Control Studies. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2024; 209:185-196. [PMID: 37812782 PMCID: PMC10806413 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202306-0942oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Benzene has been classified as carcinogenic to humans, but there is limited evidence linking benzene exposure to lung cancer. Objectives: We aimed to examine the relationship between occupational benzene exposure and lung cancer. Methods: Subjects from 14 case-control studies across Europe and Canada were pooled. We used a quantitative job-exposure matrix to estimate benzene exposure. Logistic regression models assessed lung cancer risk across different exposure indices. We adjusted for smoking and five main occupational lung carcinogens and stratified analyses by smoking status and lung cancer subtypes. Measurements and Main Results: Analyses included 28,048 subjects (12,329 cases, 15,719 control subjects). Lung cancer odds ratios ranged from 1.12 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.22) to 1.32 (95% confidence interval, 1.18-1.48) (Ptrend = 0.002) for groups with the lowest and highest cumulative occupational exposures, respectively, compared with unexposed subjects. We observed an increasing trend of lung cancer with longer duration of exposure (Ptrend < 0.001) and a decreasing trend with longer time since last exposure (Ptrend = 0.02). These effects were seen for all lung cancer subtypes, regardless of smoking status, and were not influenced by specific occupational groups, exposures, or studies. Conclusions: We found consistent and robust associations between different dimensions of occupational benzene exposure and lung cancer after adjusting for smoking and main occupational lung carcinogens. These associations were observed across different subgroups, including nonsmokers. Our findings support the hypothesis that occupational benzene exposure increases the risk of developing lung cancer. Consequently, there is a need to revisit published epidemiological and molecular data on the pulmonary carcinogenicity of benzene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxin Wan
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Susan Peters
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Lützen Portengen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ann Olsson
- International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Joachim Schüz
- International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Wolfgang Ahrens
- Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology, Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Institute of Statistics, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Miriam Schejbalova
- Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Paolo Boffetta
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Thomas Behrens
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Brüning
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Benjamin Kendzia
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dario Consonni
- Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paul A. Demers
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eleonóra Fabiánová
- Regional Authority of Public Health, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
- Faculty of Health, Catholic University, Ružomberok, Slovakia
| | - Guillermo Fernández-Tardón
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health, Madrid, Spain
- Health Research Institute of Asturias, University Institute of Oncology of Asturias – Cajastur Social Program, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - John K. Field
- Roy Castle Lung Cancer Research Programme, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Pascal Guénel
- Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Team Exposome and Heredity, U1018 Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, University of Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Per Gustavsson
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karl-Heinz Jöckel
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Stefan Karrasch
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, and
- Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich, Member of the German Center for Lung Research, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maria Teresa Landi
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jolanta Lissowska
- Epidemiology Unit, Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, M. Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Christine Barul
- Université Rennes, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, École des hautes études en santé publique, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail, UMR_S 1085, Pointe-à-Pitre, France
| | - Dana Mates
- National Institute of Public Health, Bucharest, Romania
| | - John R. McLaughlin
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Franco Merletti
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Enrica Migliore
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Richiardi
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Hermann Pohlabeln
- Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Jack Siemiatycki
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Beata Świątkowska
- Department of Environmental Epidemiology, The Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland
| | - Heinz-Erich Wichmann
- Institut für Medizinische Informatik Biometrie Epidemiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich, Member of the German Center for Lung Research, Munich, Germany
| | - David Zaridze
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, N.N. Blokhin National Research Center of Oncology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Calvin Ge
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Kurt Straif
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; and
- Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hans Kromhout
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Gerlich J, Ohlander J, Kromhout H, Vermeulen R, Söhler S, Radon K, Nowak D, Karrasch S, Adaskina N, Vogelmeier C, Ochmann U, Jörres RA. Cumulative occupational exposure to gases and fumes is associated with impairment in lung function and disease-related quality of life in a German COPD patient cohort. Occup Environ Med 2023; 81:oemed-2023-108908. [PMID: 38160050 PMCID: PMC10850675 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2023-108908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The impact of occupational exposures on lung function impairments and quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was analysed and compared with that of smoking. METHODS Data from 1283 men and 759 women (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grades 1-4 or former grade 0, without alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency) of the COPD and Systemic Consequences Comorbidities Network cohort were analysed. Cumulative exposure to gases/fumes, biological dust, mineral dust or the combination vapours/gases/dusts/fumes was assessed using the ALOHA job exposure matrix. The effect of both occupational and smoking exposure on lung function and disease-specific QoL (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire) was analysed using linear regression analysis adjusting for age, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease, stratified by sex. RESULTS In men, exposure to gases/fumes showed the strongest effects among occupational exposures, being significantly associated with all lung function parameters and QoL; the effects were partially stronger than of smoking. Smoking had a larger effect than occupational exposure on lung diffusing capacity (transfer factor for carbon monoxide) but not on air trapping (residual volume/total lung capacity). In women, occupational exposures were not significantly associated with QoL or lung function, while the relationships between lung function parameters and smoking were comparable to men. CONCLUSIONS In patients with COPD, cumulative occupational exposure, particularly to gases/fumes, showed effects on airway obstruction, air trapping, gas uptake capacity and disease-related QoL, some of which were larger than those of smoking. These findings suggest that lung air trapping and QoL should be considered as outcomes of occupational exposure to gases and fumes in patients with COPD. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT01245933.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gerlich
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Johan Ohlander
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Hans Kromhout
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Sandra Söhler
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University Medical Center Giessen and Marburg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katja Radon
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Dennis Nowak
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Karrasch
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt, Neuherberg, Germany
| | | | - Claus Vogelmeier
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University Medical Center Giessen and Marburg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Uta Ochmann
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rudolf A Jörres
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
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8
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Langezaal MA, van den Broek EL, Peters S, Goldberg M, Rey G, Friesen MC, Locke SJ, Rothman N, Lan Q, Vermeulen RCH. Artificial intelligence exceeds humans in epidemiological job coding. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2023; 3:160. [PMID: 37925519 PMCID: PMC10625577 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-023-00397-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Work circumstances can substantially negatively impact health. To explore this, large occupational cohorts of free-text job descriptions are manually coded and linked to exposure. Although several automatic coding tools have been developed, accurate exposure assessment is only feasible with human intervention. METHODS We developed OPERAS, a customizable decision support system for epidemiological job coding. Using 812,522 entries, we developed and tested classification models for the Professions et Catégories Socioprofessionnelles (PCS)2003, Nomenclature d'Activités Française (NAF)2008, International Standard Classifications of Occupation (ISCO)-88, and ISCO-68. Each code comes with an estimated correctness measure to identify instances potentially requiring expert review. Here, OPERAS' decision support enables an increase in efficiency and accuracy of the coding process through code suggestions. Using the Formaldehyde, Silica, ALOHA, and DOM job-exposure matrices, we assessed the classification models' exposure assessment accuracy. RESULTS We show that, using expert-coded job descriptions as gold standard, OPERAS realized a 0.66-0.84, 0.62-0.81, 0.60-0.79, and 0.57-0.78 inter-coder reliability (in Cohen's Kappa) on the first, second, third, and fourth coding levels, respectively. These exceed the respective inter-coder reliability of expert coders ranging 0.59-0.76, 0.56-0.71, 0.46-0.63, 0.40-0.56 on the same levels, enabling a 75.0-98.4% exposure assessment accuracy and an estimated 19.7-55.7% minimum workload reduction. CONCLUSIONS OPERAS secures a high degree of accuracy in occupational classification and exposure assessment of free-text job descriptions, substantially reducing workload. As such, OPERAS significantly outperforms both expert coders and other current coding tools. This enables large-scale, efficient, and effective exposure assessment securing healthy work conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathijs A Langezaal
- Population-Based Epidemiological Cohorts Unit UMS11, INSERM, 16 Avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, Paris, 94807, Villejuif, France.
- Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, Utrecht, 3584CC, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Egon L van den Broek
- Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, Utrecht, 3584CC, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Susan Peters
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, Utrecht, 3584CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Goldberg
- Population-Based Epidemiological Cohorts Unit UMS11, INSERM, 16 Avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, Paris, 94807, Villejuif, France
| | - Grégoire Rey
- Center for Epidemiology on Medical Causes of Death (CépiDc), INSERM, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Melissa C Friesen
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sarah J Locke
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nathaniel Rothman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Qing Lan
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Roel C H Vermeulen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, Utrecht, 3584CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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9
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Kareem RS, Baram A, Saeed SR. Importance of Pre-Procedure Counselling in Patients Undergoing Flexible Bronchoscopy. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2023; 75:1894-1899. [PMID: 37636766 PMCID: PMC10447296 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-023-03767-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy is performed very frequently in pulmonology and cardiothoracic services where the patients are most critically ill. This study aims to assess the degree of satisfaction, duration, and level of cooperativeness among patients undergoing flexible bronchoscopy. A quasi-experimental study with 128 flexible bronchoscopy patients was carried out with two groups of patients (control and study group). All the steps of the procedure were discussed with the patient. The anxiety level score, patient satisfaction, cooperation, and duration of the procedure were assessed in both groups. A total of 128 patients were included. They were divided into two groups (study group and control group). In both groups, the majority were illiterate: study group 40 (62.5%), and control group 41 (64.1%). The hospital anxiety scale was statistically better in the study group than in the control group (p-value of 0.0001). The patients' satisfaction rate in the study groups was significantly higher (p-value 0.001, chi-square test 120.508). The duration of the procedure was significantly shorter in the study group (Mean ± SD 4.45, 1.381 min). Patients with better knowledge of bronchoscopy were more comfortable with the procedure and the duration of the procedure was significantly shorter. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-023-03767-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafiq Salih Kareem
- College of Nursing, Medical / Surgical (Adult) Nursing branch, University of Sulaimani, Al Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan region 46001 Iraq
| | - Aram Baram
- College of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimani Shar Teaching Hospital, Al Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan region 46001 Iraq
| | - Shkar Raouf Saeed
- Dept. of Surgery, College of Medicine, Sulaymani Cardiac Specialty Hospital, University of Sulaimani, Al Sulaymaniyah, 46001 Iraq
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10
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Gois MFB, Fernández-Pato A, Huss A, Gacesa R, Wijmenga C, Weersma RK, Fu J, Vermeulen RCH, Zhernakova A, Lenters VC, Kurilshikov A. Impact of occupational pesticide exposure on the human gut microbiome. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1223120. [PMID: 37637104 PMCID: PMC10448898 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1223120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The rising use of pesticides in modern agriculture has led to a shift in disease burden in which exposure to these chemicals plays an increasingly important role. The human gut microbiome, which is partially responsible for the biotransformation of xenobiotics, is also known to promote biotransformation of environmental pollutants. Understanding the effects of occupational pesticide exposure on the gut microbiome can thus provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the impact of pesticide exposure on health. Here we investigate the impact of occupational pesticide exposure on human gut microbiome composition in 7198 participants from the Dutch Microbiome Project of the Lifelines Study. We used job-exposure matrices in combination with occupational codes to retrieve categorical and cumulative estimates of occupational exposures to general pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. Approximately 4% of our cohort was occupationally exposed to at least one class of pesticides, with predominant exposure to multiple pesticide classes. Most participants reported long-term employment, suggesting a cumulative profile of exposure. We demonstrate that contact with insecticides, fungicides and a general "all pesticides" class was consistently associated with changes in the gut microbiome, showing significant associations with decreased alpha diversity and a differing beta diversity. We also report changes in the abundance of 39 different bacterial taxa upon exposure to the different pesticide classes included in this study. Together, the extent of statistically relevant associations between gut microbial changes and pesticide exposure in our findings highlights the impact of these compounds on the human gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milla F. Brandao Gois
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Asier Fernández-Pato
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Anke Huss
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ranko Gacesa
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Cisca Wijmenga
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Rinse K. Weersma
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jingyuan Fu
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Roel C. H. Vermeulen
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Alexandra Zhernakova
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Virissa C. Lenters
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander Kurilshikov
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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11
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Daba C, Debela SA, Atamo A, Desye B, Necho M, Tefera YM, Yeshanew F, Gebrehiwot M. Prevalence of occupational respiratory symptoms and associated factors among industry workers in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288238. [PMID: 37440513 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Occupational respiratory diseases are major global public health problems, particularly for industry workers. Several studies have investigated occupational respiratory symptoms in various parts of Ethiopia. The findings have been inconsistent and inconclusive, and there is no nationally representative data on the subject. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence and factors associated with occupational respiratory symptoms among industry workers in Ethiopia (2010-2022). METHODS Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis framework Guidelines, search was conducted on several international databases including PubMed, CINAHL, African Journals Online, Hinari, Global Health, and Google scholar. The extracted data was analyzed using STATA 14. Random effect model was used to estimate the effect size. Egger regression test and I2 statistics were used to determine potential publication bias and heterogeneity, respectively among the reviewed articles. RESULTS The meta-analysis included a total of 15 studies with 5,135 participants, revealing a pooled prevalence of 51.6% (95% CI: 43.6-59.6) for occupational respiratory symptoms among industry workers in Ethiopia. The absence of personal protective equipment (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: [1.17-3.32]), lack of occupational health and safety training (OR = 3.04, 95% CI: [2.36-3.93]), previous dust exposure (OR = 3.17, 95% CI: [2.3-4.37]), poor working environment (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: [1.7-3.2]), work experience greater than five years (OR = 4.04, 95% CI: [1.61-10.16]), smoking (OR = 6.91, 95% CI: [2.94-16.2]), and previous respiratory illness (OR = 4.25, 95% CI: [2.44-7.42]) were found to associate with the symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The high prevalence of occupational respiratory symptoms among industry workers in Ethiopia underscores the urgent need for effective interventions. The provision of personal protective equipment and improvement of working environments by the government, industry owners, and other stakeholders are crucial in reducing occupational respiratory symptoms. Additionally, prioritizing occupational health and safety training for industry workers can help prevent and mitigate the impact of occupational respiratory diseases. REGISTRATION This systematic review has been registered in the International Prospective Registry of Systematic Review (PROSPERO) with a specific registration number CRD42022383745.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chala Daba
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
| | - Sisay Abebe Debela
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Science, Salale University, Fitche, Ethiopia
| | - Amanuel Atamo
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
| | - Belay Desye
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Adigrat University, Adigrat, Ethiopia
| | - Mogesie Necho
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
| | - Yonatal Mesfin Tefera
- Adelaide Exposure Science and Health, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Fanos Yeshanew
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
| | - Mesfin Gebrehiwot
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
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12
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Huntley CC, Bhomra P, Walters GI. Job exposure matrices for occupational respiratory disease: a narrative review. Occup Med (Lond) 2023; 73:263-267. [PMID: 37253148 DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqad064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Job exposure matrices (JEMs) are epidemiological tools used to provide estimations of occupational exposures when it is not feasible to complete detailed individual occupational histories. AIMS To identify and summarize the characteristics of published general population JEMs (GPJEM) of inhalable occupational exposures applied in studies of respiratory disease. METHODS MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched using pre-defined search terms, with screening performed by two independent reviewers to identify studies reporting the use of a GPJEM. JEM creation papers were subsequently identified and reviewed for each individual GPJEM, noting its characteristics in terms of occupational classification system and exposure estimates. RESULTS From 728 studies identified in initial searches, 33 GPJEMs of inhalable occupational exposures were identified. Versions of the International Standards Classification of Occupations were the most used occupational classification system. Binary, probability and intensity-based exposure estimates were most frequently reported in GPJEMs. CONCLUSIONS Selection of a GPJEM to apply in epidemiological research should be based on the exposure(s) of interest, time period of occupations under review, geographical region for intended use, occupation classification system used and the exposure estimate outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- C C Huntley
- Occupational and Interstitial Lung Disease Services, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham B3 3HX, UK
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - P Bhomra
- Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP, UK
| | - G I Walters
- Occupational and Interstitial Lung Disease Services, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham B3 3HX, UK
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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13
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Packer RJ, Shrine N, Hall R, Melbourne CA, Thompson R, Williams AT, Paynton ML, Guyatt AL, Allen RJ, Lee PH, John C, Campbell A, Hayward C, de Vries M, Vonk JM, Davitte J, Hessel E, Michalovich D, Betts JC, Sayers I, Yeo A, Hall IP, Tobin MD, Wain LV. Genome-wide association study of chronic sputum production implicates loci involved in mucus production and infection. Eur Respir J 2023; 61:2201667. [PMID: 37263751 PMCID: PMC10284065 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01667-2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic sputum production impacts on quality of life and is a feature of many respiratory diseases. Identification of the genetic variants associated with chronic sputum production in a disease agnostic sample could improve understanding of its causes and identify new molecular targets for treatment. METHODS We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of chronic sputum production in UK Biobank. Signals meeting genome-wide significance (p<5×10-8) were investigated in additional independent studies, were fine-mapped and putative causal genes identified by gene expression analysis. GWASs of respiratory traits were interrogated to identify whether the signals were driven by existing respiratory disease among the cases and variants were further investigated for wider pleiotropic effects using phenome-wide association studies (PheWASs). RESULTS From a GWAS of 9714 cases and 48 471 controls, we identified six novel genome-wide significant signals for chronic sputum production including signals in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) locus, chromosome 11 mucin locus (containing MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC5B) and FUT2 locus. The four common variant associations were supported by independent studies with a combined sample size of up to 2203 cases and 17 627 controls. The mucin locus signal had previously been reported for association with moderate-to-severe asthma. The HLA signal was fine-mapped to an amino acid change of threonine to arginine (frequency 36.8%) in HLA-DRB1 (HLA-DRB1*03:147). The signal near FUT2 was associated with expression of several genes including FUT2, for which the direction of effect was tissue dependent. Our PheWAS identified a wide range of associations including blood cell traits, liver biomarkers, infections, gastrointestinal and thyroid-associated diseases, and respiratory disease. CONCLUSIONS Novel signals at the FUT2 and mucin loci suggest that mucin fucosylation may be a driver of chronic sputum production even in the absence of diagnosed respiratory disease and provide genetic support for this pathway as a target for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Packer
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Leicester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK
| | - Nick Shrine
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Robert Hall
- Centre for Respiratory Research, NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, School of Medicine, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Carl A Melbourne
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Rebecca Thompson
- Centre for Respiratory Research, NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, School of Medicine, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alex T Williams
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Megan L Paynton
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Anna L Guyatt
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Richard J Allen
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Paul H Lee
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Catherine John
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Leicester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK
| | - Archie Campbell
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Caroline Hayward
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maaike de Vries
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology and Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Judith M Vonk
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology and Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Ian Sayers
- Centre for Respiratory Research, NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, School of Medicine, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Ian P Hall
- Centre for Respiratory Research, NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, School of Medicine, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Martin D Tobin
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Leicester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK
| | - Louise V Wain
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Leicester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK
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14
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Puci MV, Ferraro OE, Monti MC, Gnesi M, Borrelli P, Cadum E, Perotti P, Migliazza S, Dalle Carbonare S, Montomoli C, Villani S. Asthma, COPD, Respiratory, and Allergic Health Effects in an Adult Population Living near an Italian Refinery: A Cross-Sectional Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11071037. [PMID: 37046964 PMCID: PMC10093894 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11071037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Globally, 545 million people suffer from chronic respiratory diseases with a wide geographical variability. Risk factors for asthma are both genetic and related to several environmental factors (internal and external pollutants); these also have an important role in the occurrence of COPD. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of asthma, COPD, and asthma/COPD overlap (ACO) in an adult population living in two municipalities located in the Po Valley. METHODS A standardized questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and sociodemographic characteristics was self-administered to a random sample of the adult population aged 20-64 years, living near a refinery in Northern Italy during the period between 2016 and 2019. Logistic and multinomial regression were implemented to explore factors associated with asthma, COPD, and ACO. RESULTS In total, 1108 subjects filled out the questionnaire, the mean age was 48.02 ± 12.34 years (range 21-68), and 53% of the respondents/participants were female. Half of the responders were non-smokers, but the frequency of current and former smokers was significantly greater in men than in women (p < 0.001). The likelihood of being a probable case of asthma decreased with increasing age and increased for smokers. Tobacco smoke was associated with the presence of COPD and ACO. CONCLUSION Respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD are common in the general population, with differences among countries worldwide. Our findings show, on the basis of the main confirmed risk factor, namely smoking, that it is useful to plan target programs and actions in order to reduce smoking, thus improving the quality of life in public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Valentina Puci
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ottavia Eleonora Ferraro
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Monti
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Marco Gnesi
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Paola Borrelli
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Laboratory of Biostatistics, Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Ennio Cadum
- Health Protection Agency of Pavia (ATS Pavia), 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Pietro Perotti
- Health Protection Agency of Pavia (ATS Pavia), 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Simona Migliazza
- Health Protection Agency of Pavia (ATS Pavia), 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Cristina Montomoli
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Simona Villani
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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15
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Chen Y, Peng C, Zhang H, Cai Y, Yuan R, Song P, Zhang C, Yan Y. Exposure to occupational risk factors is associated with the severity and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e32908. [PMID: 36820577 PMCID: PMC9907959 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000032908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) results from a complex interaction between genes and the environment, and occupational exposures are an underappreciated risk factor. Until now, little research attention has been paid to the potential impact of occupational risk factor exposure on the COPD in China. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the role of occupational risk factor exposure on the severity and progression of COPD for exploring new prevention strategies for this disease. This study adopted a random cluster-sampling method. Five grade-A tertiary hospitals that met the inclusion criteria were selected as the survey sites, and patients with COPD hospitalized in these hospitals from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019, were selected as the research subjects. Data of the patients diagnosed with COPD met the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (2019) criteria and were collected from the computerized medical record databases. Among 4082 investigated COPD patients, 1063 (26%) were found to have occupational risk factor exposure history. The top 3 industries with a large COPD case number and a history of occupational risk factor exposure ranked in the order of agriculture (including farming, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery), manufacturing, and mining. Further multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that when setting a low exposure level as a reference, medium and high exposure levels were correlated with the severity of COPD (odds ratio values were 2.837 and 6.201, respectively, P < .05). Linear regression analysis showed that cumulative exposure to occupational risk factors was negatively correlated with the forced expiratory volume in 1-second percentage of COPD patients, with a correlation coefficient of 0.68. Our results indicated that occupational risk factor exposure levels were related to the severity of COPD significantly. The incubation period of COPD in the exposure group was significantly shorter than that in the non-exposure group. To prevent worked-related COPD, special attention and control efforts should be taken to reduce the level of occupational risk factors such as organic dust, irritating chemicals, etc in the work environments, especially in the industries of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, manufacturing, and mining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Chen
- School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- Shandong Academy of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
| | - Cong Peng
- Health Bureau of Daiyue District, Tai’an, Shandong Province, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- The Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yu Cai
- Shandong Academy of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
| | - Rui Yuan
- Shandong Academy of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
| | - Pingping Song
- The Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chunling Zhang
- The Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yongjian Yan
- Shandong Academy of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
- The Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
- * Correspondence: Yongjian Yan, Shandong Provincial Hospital, The Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Shandong Academy Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, 18877 Jingshi Road, Jinan, Shandong Province 250000, China (e-mail: )
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16
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Rabbani G, Nimmi N, Benke GP, Dharmage SC, Bui D, Sim MR, Abramson MJ, Alif SM. Ever and cumulative occupational exposure and lung function decline in longitudinal population-based studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Occup Environ Med 2023; 80:51-60. [PMID: 36280382 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Adverse occupational exposures can accelerate age-related lung function decline. Some longitudinal population-based studies have investigated this association. This study aims to examine this association using findings reported by longitudinal population-based studies. METHODS Ovid Medline, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched using keywords and text words related to occupational exposures and lung function and 12 longitudinal population-based studies were identified using predefined inclusion criteria. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Lung function decline was defined as annual loss of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) or the ratio (FEV1/FVC). Fixed and random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to calculate pooled estimates for ever and cumulative exposures. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test, and publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots. RESULTS Ever exposures to gases/fumes, vapours, gases, dusts, fumes (VGDF) and aromatic solvents were significantly associated with FEV1 decline in meta-analyses. Cumulative exposures for these three occupational agents observed a similar trend of FEV1 decline. Ever exposures to fungicides and cumulative exposures to biological dust, fungicides and insecticides were associated with FEV1 decline in fixed-effect models only. No statistically significant association was observed between mineral dust, herbicides and metals and FEV1 decline in meta-analyses. CONCLUSION Pooled estimates from the longitudinal population-based studies have provided evidence that occupational exposures are associated with FEV1 decline. Specific exposure control and respiratory health surveillance are required to protect the lung health of the workers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Naima Nimmi
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University Australia, Berwick, Victoria, Australia
| | - Geza P Benke
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shyamali C Dharmage
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dinh Bui
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Malcolm R Sim
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sheikh M Alif
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia .,Allergy and Lung Health Unit, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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17
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Impact of Previous Occupational Exposure on Outcomes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12101592. [PMID: 36294730 PMCID: PMC9604772 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12101592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Occupational exposures have been regarded as a risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, there is little knowledge regarding the effect of occupational exposure on the treatment outcomes of COPD. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the question of whether occupational exposure can have a potential impact on COPD outcomes. Methods: Information regarding self-reported occupational exposure for 312 patients with COPD from the Korean Obstructive Lung Disease (KOLD) Cohort were included. A comparison of the rate of acute exacerbation, annual lung function change, and quality of life according to the presence or absence of occupational exposure was performed. Results: Seventy-six patients (24.4%) had experienced occupational exposure; chemical materials were most common. At enrollment, a higher COPD-specific version of the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire total score (39.7 ± 18.8 vs. 33.1 ± 17.6, p = 0.005) and a higher exacerbation history in the past year (30.3% vs. 17.5%, p = 0.017) were observed for patients with occupational exposure compared to those without occupational exposure. Furthermore, in the follow-up period, after adjusting for potential confounders, a higher frequency of acute exacerbation (odd ratio, 1.418; 95% confidence interval, 1.027–1.956; p = 0.033) and a more rapid decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (p = 0.009) was observed for COPD patients with occupational exposure compared to those without occupational exposure. Conclusions: In the KOLD cohort, worse outcomes in terms of exacerbation rate and change in lung function were observed for COPD patients with occupational exposure compared to those without occupational exposure. These findings suggest that occupational exposure not only is a risk factor for COPD but also might have a prognostic impact on COPD.
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18
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Balde A, Kim SK, Benjakul S, Nazeer RA. Pulmonary drug delivery applications of natural polysaccharide polymer derived nano/micro-carrier systems: A review. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 220:1464-1479. [PMID: 36116588 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.09.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Respiratory distress syndrome and pneumothorax are the foremost causes of death as a result of the changing lifestyle and increasing air pollution. Numerous approaches have been studied for the pulmonary delivery of drugs, proteins as well as peptides using meso/nanoparticles, nanocrystals, and liposomes. These nano/microcarrier systems (NMCs) loaded with drug provide better systemic as well as local action. Furthermore, natural polysaccharide-based polymers such as chitosan (CS), alginate (AG), hyaluronic acid, dextran, and cellulose are highly used for the preparation of nanoparticles and delivery of the drug into the pulmonary tract due to their advantageous properties such as low toxicity, high hydrophobicity, supplementary mucociliary clearance, mucoadhesivity, and biological efficacy. These properties ease the delivery of drugs onto the targeted site. Herein, recent advances in the natural polymer-derived NMCs have been reviewed for their transport and mechanism of action into the bronchiolar region as well as the respiratory region. Various physicochemical properties such as surface charge, size of nanocarrier system, surface modifications, and toxicological effects of these nanocarriers in vitro and in vivo are elucidated as well. Furthermore, challenges faced for the preparation of a model NMCs for pulmonary drug delivery are also discoursed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshad Balde
- Biopharmaceuticals Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Se-Kwon Kim
- Department of Marine Science and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 11558, South Korea
| | - Soottawat Benjakul
- Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkhla University, 90112 Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Rasool Abdul Nazeer
- Biopharmaceuticals Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai 603203, Tamilnadu, India.
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19
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Keer S, Brooks C, Glass B, McLean D, Harding E, Douwes J. Respiratory symptoms and use of dust-control measures in New Zealand construction workers – A cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266668. [PMID: 35390070 PMCID: PMC8989237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dust-exposed construction workers have an increased risk of respiratory symptoms, but the efficacy of dust-control measures remains unclear. This study compared respiratory symptoms, using a modified European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire, between construction workers (n = 208) and a reference group of bus drivers and retail workers (n = 142). Within the construction workers, we assessed the effect of collective (on-tool vacuum/’wet-cut’ systems) and personal (respirators) exposure controls on symptom prevalence. Logistic regression assessed differences between groups, adjusted for age, ethnicity, and smoking status. Construction workers were more likely to cough with phlegm at least once a week (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2–4.7) and cough with phlegm ≥3 months/year for ≥2 years (OR 2.8, CI 1.2–7.0), but they had similar or fewer asthma symptoms. Construction workers who had worked for 11–20 years reported more cough/phlegm symptoms (OR 5.1, 1.7–15.0 for cough with phlegm ≥3 months/year for ≥2 years) than those who had worked <10 years (OR 1.9, 0.6–5.8), when compared to the reference group. Those who used ‘wet-cut’ methods reported less cough with phlegm, although the evidence for this association was weak (OR 0.4, CI 0.2–1.1 for cough with phlegm at least once a week); use of on-tool extraction showed a similar trend. No associations between respiratory protective equipment-use and symptoms were found. In conclusion, construction workers reported more symptoms suggestive of bronchitis, particularly those employed in the industry for >10 years. Use of collective dust exposure controls might protect against these symptoms, but this requires confirmation in a larger study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Keer
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Collin Brooks
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Bill Glass
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Dave McLean
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Elizabeth Harding
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Jeroen Douwes
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
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20
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The Relationship between Metal Exposure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the General US Population: NHANES 2015–2016. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19042085. [PMID: 35206273 PMCID: PMC8871875 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The effects of metal on pulmonary function are inconsistent, and abnormal distribution of metals can decrease lung function. However, the effects of metals exposure on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are still unclear. This study aims to explore the relationship between metal exposure and COPD risk. Cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) 2015–2016 was analyzed. Inductively coupled plasma dynamic reaction cell mass spectrometry (ICP-DRC-MS) was used to measure the metals concentration in the blood. The multiple linear regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used to analyze the relationship between metals exposure and COPD risk. In this study, 1399 participants were included, of which 107 participants were diagnosed with COPD using self-reported chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD. The second and third tertiles of copper increased the COPD risk by 1.98-fold (95% CI: 1.08–3.62) and 2.43-fold (95% CI: 1.32–4.48) compared with the first tertile, using p = 0.005 for the trend after adjusting for the covariates. RCS showed a positive linear correlation between copper and COPD risk (p = 0.006 for overall association) in all participants. When stratified by sex, the multi-factor analysis showed that the third tertile of copper increased male’s COPD risk by 3.42-fold (95% CI: 1.52–7.76), with p = 0.003 for the trend, and RCS also showed a positive linear correlation (p = 0.013 for overall association). Although RCS showed that selenium can reduce the COPD risk (p = 0.008 for overall association) in males, an association between selenium and COPD was not observed (p > 0.05). Our findings suggest that a high concentration of copper may increase COPD risk in males in the general US population, and more research is needed to explore its possible mechanism of action.
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21
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De Matteis S, Jarvis D, Darnton L, Consonni D, Kromhout H, Hutchings S, Sadhra SS, Fishwick D, Vermeulen R, Rushton L, Cullinan P. Lifetime occupational exposures and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk in the UK Biobank cohort. Thorax 2022; 77:997-1005. [PMID: 35082144 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-216523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Occupational exposures are important, preventable causes of COPD. We previously found an increased risk of COPD among six occupations by analysing lifetime job histories and lung function data in the population-based UK Biobank cohort. We aimed to build on these findings and elucidate the underlying potential causal agents to focus preventive strategies. METHODS We applied the ALOHA+job exposure matrix (JEM) based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations V.1988 codes, where exposure to 12 selected agents was rated as 0 (no exposure), 1 (low) or 2 (high). COPD was spirometrically defined as FEV1/FVC less than the lower limit of normal. We calculated semiquantitative cumulative exposure estimates for each agent by multiplying the duration of exposure and squared intensity. Prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% CI for COPD were estimated using robust Poisson regression adjusted for centre, sex, age, smoking and coexposure to JEM agents. Only associations confirmed among never-smokers and never-asthmatics were considered reliable. RESULTS Out of 116 375 participants with complete job histories, 94 514 had acceptable/repeatable spirometry and smoking data and were included in the analysis. Pesticide exposure showed increased risk of COPD for ever exposure (PR=1.13, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.28) and high cumulative exposure (PR=1.32, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.56), with positive exposure-response trends (p trend=0.004), which were confirmed among never-smokers (p trend=0.005) and never-asthmatics (p trend=0.001). CONCLUSION In a large population-based study, occupational exposure to pesticides was associated with risk of COPD. Focused preventive strategies for workers exposed to pesticides can prevent the associated COPD burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara De Matteis
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK .,Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Debbie Jarvis
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.,MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Lucy Darnton
- Science Division, Health and Safety Executive, Harpur Hill Buxton, UK
| | - Dario Consonni
- Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Hans Kromhout
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sally Hutchings
- School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Steven S Sadhra
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - David Fishwick
- Science Division, Health and Safety Executive, Harpur Hill Buxton, UK
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lesley Rushton
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, UK.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Cullinan
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
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22
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Yin Y, Qi J, Gong J, Gao D. Distribution of bacterial concentration and viability in atmospheric aerosols under various weather conditions in the coastal region of China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 795:148713. [PMID: 34247090 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Airborne bacteria have an important role in atmospheric processes and human health. However, there is still little information on the transmission and distribution of bacteria via the airborne route. To characterize the impact of foggy, haze, haze-fog (HF) and dust days on the concentration and viability of bacteria in atmospheric aerosols, size-segregated bioaerosol samples were collected in the Qingdao coastal region from March 2018 to February 2019. The total airborne microbes and viable/non-viable bacteria in the bioaerosol samples were measured using an epifluorescence microscope after staining with DAPI (4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) and a LIVE/DEAD® BacLight Bacterial Viability Kit. The average concentrations of total airborne microbes on haze and dust days were 6.75 × 105 and 1.03 × 106 cells/m3, respectively, which increased by a factor of 1.3 and 2.5 (on average), respectively, relative to those on sunny days. The concentrations of non-viable bacteria on haze and dust days increased by a factor of 1.2 and 3.6 (on average), respectively, relative to those on sunny days. In contrast, the concentrations of viable bacteria on foggy and HF days were 7.13 × 103 and 5.74 × 103 cells/m3, decreases of 38% and 50%, respectively, compared with those on sunny days. Foggy, haze, dust and HF days had a significant effect on the trend of the seasonal variation in the total airborne microbes and non-viable bacteria. Bacterial viability was 20.8% on sunny days and significantly higher than the 14.1% on foggy days, 11.2% on haze days, 8.6% during the HF phenomenon and 6.1% on dust days, indicating that special weather is harmful to some bacterial species. Correlation analysis showed that the factors that influenced the bacterial concentration and viability depended on different weather conditions. The main influential factors were temperature, NO2 and SO2 concentrations on haze days, and temperature, particulate matter (PM2.5) and NO2 concentrations on foggy days. The median size of particles containing viable bacteria was 1.94 μm on sunny days and decreased to 1.88 μm and 1.74 μm on foggy and haze days, respectively, but increased to 2.18 μm and 2.37 μm on dust and HF days, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidan Yin
- Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Jianhua Qi
- Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266100, China.
| | - Jing Gong
- Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Dongmei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
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23
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Papageorgiou CV, Savourdos P, Douna E, Georgakopoulou VE, Makrodimitri S, Dounias G. Respiratory Symptoms and Pulmonary Function of Workers in the Waste Management Industry. Cureus 2021; 13:e17027. [PMID: 34522508 PMCID: PMC8425493 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.17027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Waste handling workers are exposed to air pollutants and toxic compounds produced during waste management and processing that can cause respiratory symptoms and lung function impairment. This study aimed to evaluate the respiratory health of exposed workers in a waste management plant in Attica, Greece. Methods: 50 field workers exposed to outdoor pollutants (exposure group) and 32 office clerks with no exposure (control group) were evaluated. Upper and lower respiratory symptoms were documented and spirometry was performed. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the exposure and the control group in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)%, forced vital capacity (FVC)%, FEV1/FVC% predicted values. Workers had lower maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF)% predicted values compared to controls (82% vs 94%, p=0.019). No difference was observed regarding the respiratory symptoms between the two groups. Conclusion: Lower MMEF values were observed in the exposure group. Low MMEF can be indicative of small airway disease, thus smoking cessation, close follow-up, and the use of personal protective equipment are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Petros Savourdos
- Department of Occupational & Industrial Hygiene, National School of Public Health, Athens, GRC
| | - Eleni Douna
- Department of Occupational & Industrial Hygiene, National School of Public Health, Athens, GRC
| | | | | | - Georgios Dounias
- Department of Occupational & Industrial Hygiene, National School of Public Health, Athens, GRC
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24
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Syamlal G, Doney B, Hendricks S, Mazurek JM. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and U.S. Workers: Prevalence, Trends, and Attributable Cases Associated With Work. Am J Prev Med 2021; 61:e127-e137. [PMID: 34419236 PMCID: PMC8672326 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. Workplace exposures are important modifiable contributors to the burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Among U.S. workers, 19% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases are attributable to workplace exposures. This study examines the trends in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevalence during 2012-2018 among workers and assesses the population attributable fraction for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with work by smoking status, industry, and occupation. METHODS The 2012-2018 National Health Interview Survey data for workers aged ≥18 years employed during the 12 months before the interview were analyzed in 2019. Annual trends were examined using the Poisson regression model. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted prevalence ORs. RESULTS During 2012-2018, an estimated age-adjusted annual average of 4.1% of workers had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and prevalence varied by industry and occupation. Overall, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevalence increased by an estimated annual average of 1.5% (p<0.05). The prevalence trends increased significantly among workers in the merchant wholesale nondurable and the arts, entertainment, and recreation industries and among financial specialists; supervisors, other food services workers; supervisors, building grounds workers, and maintenance workers; personal care and services workers; supervisors and office and administrative support workers; and motor-vehicle operators and material moving workers. The proportion of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases attributable to work was 27.3% among all workers and 24.0% among never smokers. CONCLUSIONS Public health efforts to increase the awareness and understanding of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with occupational risk factors are needed to prevent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among workers, especially among those employed in industries and occupations with increasing prevalence trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Girija Syamlal
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, West Virginia.
| | - Brent Doney
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Scott Hendricks
- Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Jacek M Mazurek
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, West Virginia
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25
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Airborne Occupational Exposures and Lung Function in the Lifelines Cohort Study. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2021; 18:60-67. [PMID: 32795190 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.201909-678oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The association between airborne occupational exposures and lung function level is inconsistent in the general population. Moreover, little is known about the association between occupational exposures and annual lung function decline.Objectives: We investigated the association between occupational exposures and lung function level and annual lung function decline in the population-based Lifelines cohort study.Methods: We included 55,631 adults with baseline spirometry and reliable job code-13,759 of these subjects were aged ≥30 years and underwent spirometry again after 4.5 years of follow-up. Occupational exposures in the current or last-held job at baseline were estimated with the ALOHA+ job-exposure matrix. Linear regression analyses adjusted for covariates were used to test the association between each occupational exposure-biological dust, mineral dust, gases and fumes, pesticides, solvents, and metals-and lung function level and annual lung function decline. Interactions were used to test effect modification by sex or smoking.Results: Exposures to biological dust, mineral dust, gases and fumes, insecticides, fungicides, and aromatic solvents were associated with a lower lung function level at baseline. The effects were larger in males and smokers compared with females and nonsmokers, respectively. However, no association between occupational exposures and the rate of annual lung function decline was found between baseline and follow-up.Conclusions: In this study, airborne occupational exposures are associated with lower lung function level but not with a faster lung function decline. These negative effects are more pronounced among males and smokers.
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26
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Diaz Del Valle F, Koff PB, Min SJ, Zakrajsek JK, Zittleman L, Fernald DH, Nederveld A, Nease DE, Hunter AR, Moody EJ, Miller Temple K, Niblock JL, Grund C, Oser TK, Greiner KA, Vandivier RW. Challenges Faced by Rural Primary Care Providers When Caring for COPD Patients in the Western United States. CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASES (MIAMI, FLA.) 2021; 8:336-349. [PMID: 34048644 PMCID: PMC8428598 DOI: 10.15326/jcopdf.2021.0215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Rural chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients have worse outcomes and higher mortality compared with urban patients. Reasons for these disparities likely include challenges to delivery of care that have not been explored. OBJECTIVE To determine challenges faced by rural primary care providers when caring for COPD patients. METHODS Rural primary care providers in 7 primarily western states were asked about barriers they experienced when caring for COPD patients. RESULTS A total of 71 rural primary care medical providers completed the survey, of which 51% were physicians and 49% were advanced practice providers (APPs). A total of 61% used Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease or American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society guidelines as an assessment and treatment resource. The presence of multiple chronic conditions and patient failure to recognize and report symptoms were the greatest barriers to diagnose COPD. A total of 89% of providers used spirometry to diagnose COPD, but only 62% were satisfied with access to spirometry. Despite recommendations, 41% of providers never test for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. A total of 87% were comfortable with their ability to assess symptoms, but only 11% used a guideline-recommended assessment tool. Although most providers were satisfied with their ability to treat symptoms and exacerbations, only 66% were content with their ability to prevent exacerbations. Fewer providers were happy with their access to pulmonologists (55%) or pulmonary rehabilitation (37%). Subgroup analyses revealed differences based on provider type (APP versus physician) and location (Colorado and Kansas versus other states), but not on population or practice size. CONCLUSIONS Rural providers face significant challenges when caring for COPD patients that should be targeted in future interventions to improve COPD outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Diaz Del Valle
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Patricia B Koff
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Sung-Joon Min
- Department of Medicine, Division of Healthcare Policy and Research, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Jonathan K Zakrajsek
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Linda Zittleman
- Department of Family Medicine, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Douglas H Fernald
- Department of Family Medicine, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Andrea Nederveld
- Department of Family Medicine, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Donald E Nease
- Department of Family Medicine, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Alexis R Hunter
- High Plains Research Council Community Advisory Council, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Eric J Moody
- Wyoming Institute for Disabilities, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States
| | - Kay Miller Temple
- Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States
| | - Jenny L Niblock
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States
| | - Chrysanne Grund
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States
| | - Tamara K Oser
- Department of Family Medicine, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - K Allen Greiner
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States
| | - R William Vandivier
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
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Cong X, Zhang J, Pu Y. A novel living environment exposure matrix of the common organic air pollutants for exposure assessment. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 215:112118. [PMID: 33740492 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Although the most accurate estimations of exposure to organic air pollutants are direct personal measurements, it is prohibitive for large-scale epidemiological studies, both in terms of cost-saving and procedure time. Therefore, indirect exposure assessments offer a potentially feasible approach for estimating population exposures to organic air pollution. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel living environment exposure matrix of the common organic air pollutants, which was used in large-scale epidemiological studies. The common organic air pollutants and a range of potential living environment factors were collected and matched according to the statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the World Health Organization. Paints (dyes), paint removing, and furniture are the most common source of living environment exposure (n = 6). Furthermore, most of the common organic air pollutants are associated with exposure to coal, oil and gasoline burning, smoking, and carpet backing (n ≥ 2). Electricity is considered a clean fuel due to they generate less organic air pollutants compared to other living environment factors in this study. However, whether gas burning is considered as a source of indoor organic air pollutants in large-scale epidemiological studies need to be further investigated. The present study summarizes the living environment exposure matrix of the common organic air pollution, which could be used to estimate exposure to organic air pollutants in large-scale epidemiological studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Cong
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yuepu Pu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, China.
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Dagnew B, Andualem Z, Angaw DA, Alemu Gelaye K, Dagne H. Duration of exposure and educational level as predictors of occupational respiratory symptoms among adults in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. SAGE Open Med 2021; 9:20503121211018121. [PMID: 34094559 PMCID: PMC8142000 DOI: 10.1177/20503121211018121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Occupational respiratory symptoms are manifestations of respiratory diseases because of exposure to dust or chemicals such as asbestos, silicon and aluminium in the workplace like cement factory, tannery, textile and/or street sweeping, all of which affect the health condition and productivity. In Ethiopia, several primary studies were conducted regarding the magnitude of occupational respiratory symptoms with the prevalence of 68.89% in street sweepers and associated factors with inconsistent results. This meta-analysis aimed to pool the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and their associated factors among Ethiopian adults working in different workplaces. Methods: PubMed, African Journals Online, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and Direct Google were systematically searched to identify primary studies. Two authors performed data abstraction and quality assessment for each included study independently. Cochran’s Q-statistic and I2 (I-squared) statistic were used to check heterogeneity. DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models were used to estimate the pooled prevalence and associated factors of respiratory symptoms. Publication bias was checked by funnel plot and Egger’s test, and also sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: Ten primary studies with 3441 study participants were included for the narrative synthesis and meta-analysis of the pooled prevalence of occupational respiratory symptoms. The pooled prevalence of overall occupational respiratory symptom was 54.58% (95% CI: 45.37–63.79). Dry cough was the most encountered respiratory symptom [34.93, 95% CI: 29.52–40.35], followed by breathlessness [28.67%, 95% CI: 20.13–37.22]. Work experience of over 5 years [OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.21–4.16] and educational level of Grade 8 and lower [OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.06–1.55] were significantly associated with occupational respiratory symptoms. Conclusion: In this review, the pooled prevalence of occupational respiratory symptoms was high. The findings of this study dictate the need for the implementation of workplace safety measures. Special attention is required to employees with lower educational level and longer duration of work experience. Prospero registration: CRD42020176826
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Affiliation(s)
- Baye Dagnew
- Department of Human Physiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Zewudu Andualem
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Dessie Abebaw Angaw
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Kassahun Alemu Gelaye
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Henok Dagne
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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29
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Komuczki D, Dutra G, Gstöttner C, Dominguez-Vega E, Jungbauer A, Satzer P. Media on-demand: Continuous reconstitution of a chemically defined media directly from solids. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:3382-3394. [PMID: 33656168 PMCID: PMC8451748 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Chemically defined media are reconstituted batchwise and stored in hold tanks until use. To avoid large hold tanks and batchwise production of media, we developed continuous on‐demand reconstitutions directly from solids consisting of a hopper and a screw conveyor capable of feeding dry powdered media with the required precision ±5% at low dosing rates of 0.171 g min−1. A commercially available dry powdered cell culture medium was continuously fed over a duration of 12 h into a mixer which was connected to a UV‐cell for monitoring and the media were compared to a batchwise production. A comparable amino acid, carbohydrate, and osmolality profile to a batchwise reconstitution could be obtained. Cell cultivation showed comparable performance of batch and continuous reconstitution for two CHO cell lines producing the antibodies adalimumab and trastuzumab on a small and benchtop scale. In‐depth analysis of the produced antibodies showed the same glycosylation pattern, other posttranslational profiles such as methionine oxidation and deamidation compared to batchwise reconstitution. Therefore, we conclude a continuous reconstitution of the medium results in the same quality of the product. A continuous on‐demand media reconstitution will impact the supply chain and significantly reduce the floor space necessary for preparation and storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Komuczki
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregory Dutra
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Gstöttner
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Elena Dominguez-Vega
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Alois Jungbauer
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Satzer
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
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Cocco P, Satta G, Meloni F, Pilia I, Ahmed F, Becker N, Casabonne D, de Sanjosé S, Foretova L, Maynadié M, Nieters A, Staines A, 't Mannetje A, Zucca M, Ennas MG, Campagna M, De Matteis S, Benavente Y. Occupational exposure to organic dust and risk of lymphoma subtypes in the EPILYMPH case-control study. Scand J Work Environ Health 2021; 47:42-51. [PMID: 33103203 PMCID: PMC7801142 DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives This study aimed to estimate the risk of lymphoma and its major subtypes in relation to occupational exposure to specific organic dusts. Methods We explored the association in 1853 cases and 1997 controls who participated in the EpiLymph case-control study, conducted in six European countries in 1998-2004. Based on expert assessment of lifetime occupational exposures, we calculated the risk of the major lymphoma subtypes associated with exposure to six specific organic dusts, namely, flour, hardwood, softwood, natural textile, synthetic textile, and leather, and two generic (any types) groups: wood and textile dusts. Risk was predicted with unconditional regression modeling, adjusted by age, gender, study center, and education. Results We observed a 2.1-fold increase in risk of follicular lymphoma associated with ever exposure to leather dust [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-4.20]. After excluding subjects who ever worked in a farm or had ever been exposed to solvents, risk of B-cell lymphoma was elevated in relation to ever exposure to leather dust [odd ratio (OR) 2.2, 95% CI 1.00-4.78], but it was not supported by increasing trends with the exposure metrics. Risk of Hodgkin lymphoma was elevated (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.95-4.30) for exposure to textile dust, with consistent upward trends by cumulative exposure and three independent exposure metrics combined (P=0.023, and P=0.0068, respectively). Conclusions Future, larger studies might provide further insights into the nature of the association we observed between exposure to textile dust and risk of Hodgkin lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierluigi Cocco
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Occupational Medicine unit, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (Cagliari) Italy.
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31
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Pei C, Wu Y, Wang X, Wang F, Liu L. Effect of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics for chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e23045. [PMID: 33157958 PMCID: PMC7647592 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000023045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics have been widely used in the treatment of respiratory diseases, but their clinical efficacy for treating chronic bronchitis (CB) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has not been well studied. METHODS The following electronic databases will be searched for eligible randomized controlled trials: the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, the Web of Science, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Wanfang database, and the China Science and Technology Journal database (VIP Information Network). We will search these electronic databases weekly and extract relevant data from their inception dates until September 30, 2020. Risk of publication bias will be evaluated by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Data synthesis will be conducted using Review Manager (RevMan) version 5.3 software. Sensitivity and quality of evidence analyses will be conducted. RESULTS This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide a high-quality synthesis from existing evidence for estimating the efficacy and safety of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics in the treatment of CB or COPD. CONCLUSION This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide reliable and accurate evidence to guide the use of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics in the treatment of CB or COPD. REGISTRATION OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/SP35M.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yongcan Wu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 39 Shi-er-qiao Road
| | | | | | - Liyun Liu
- General Practitioners’ Training Center of Sichuan Province, No. 19, Lower Wangjiaguai St., Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
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Spinder N, Bergman JE, Kromhout H, Vermeulen R, Corsten-Janssen N, Boezen HM, du Marchie Sarvaas GJ, de Walle HE. Maternal occupational exposure and congenital heart defects in offspring. Scand J Work Environ Health 2020; 46:599-608. [PMID: 33135766 PMCID: PMC7737813 DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most prevalent congenital anomalies. This study aims to examine the association between maternal occupational exposures to organic and mineral dust, solvents, pesticides, and metal dust and fumes and CHD in the offspring, assessing several subgroups of CHD. Methods For this case-control study, we examined 1174 cases with CHD from EUROCAT Northern Netherlands and 5602 controls without congenital anomalies from the Lifelines cohort study. Information on maternal jobs held early in pregnancy was collected via self-administered questionnaires, and job titles were linked to occupational exposures using a job exposure matrix. Results An association was found between organic dust exposure and coarctation of aorta [adjusted odds ratio (OR adj) 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-3.59] and pulmonary (valve) stenosis in combination with ventricular septal defect (OR adj2.68, 95% CI 1.07-6.73). Mineral dust exposure was associated with increased risk of coarctation of aorta (OR adj2.94, 95% CI 1.21-7.13) and pulmonary valve stenosis (OR adj1.99, 95% CI 1.10-3.62). Exposure to metal dust and fumes was infrequent but was associated with CHD in general (OR adj2.40, 95% CI 1.09-5.30). Exposure to both mineral dust and metal dust and fumes was associated with septal defects (OR adj3.23, 95% CI 1.14-9.11). Any maternal occupational exposure was associated with a lower risk of aortic stenosis (OR adj0.32, 95% CI 0.11-0.94). Conclusions Women should take preventive measures or avoid exposure to mineral and organic dust as well as metal dust and fumes early in pregnancy as this could possibly affect foetal heart development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nynke Spinder
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, -Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Sumit AF, Das A, Miraj IH, Bhowmick D. Association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and occupational exposures: A hospital based quantitative cross-sectional study among the Bangladeshi population. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239602. [PMID: 32966342 PMCID: PMC7510960 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and occupational exposures are less studied in Bangladeshi context, despite the fact that occupational exposures are serious public health concerns in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate this association considering demographic, health and smoking characteristics of Bangladeshi population. This was a hospital-based quantitative study including 373 participants who were assessed for COPD through spirometry testing. Assessment of occupational exposures was based on both self-reporting by respondents and ALOHA based job exposure matrix (JEM). Here, among the self-reported exposed group (n = 189), 104 participants (55%) were found with COPD compared to 23 participants (12.5%) in unexposed group (n = 184) that differed significantly (p = 0.00). Similarly, among the JEM measured low (n = 103) and high exposed group (n = 236), 23.3% and 41.5% of the participants were found with COPD respectively; compared to unexposed group (14.7%; n = 34), that differed significantly also (p = 0.00). Likewise, participants with longer self-reported occupational exposures (>8 years) showed significantly (p = 0.00) higher proportions of COPD (79.5%) compared to 40.4% in shorter exposure group (1-8 years). Similarly, significant (p = 0.00) higher cases of COPD were observed among the longer cumulative exposure years (>9 years) group than the shorter cumulative exposure years (1-9 years) group in JEM. While combining smoking and occupational exposure, the chance of developing COPD among the current, former and non-smokers of exposed group were 7.4, 7.2 and 12.7 times higher respectively than unexposed group. Furthermore, logistic analysis revealed that after adjustments for confounding risk factors, the chance of developing COPD among the self-reported exposure group was 6.3 times higher (ORs: 6.3, p = 0.00) than unexposed group; and JEM exposure group has odds of 2.8 and 1.1 respectively (p<0.05) for high and low exposures. Further studies are needed to reinforce this association between COPD and occupational exposure in Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Faisal Sumit
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- * E-mail:
| | - Anindya Das
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Debasish Bhowmick
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Kitjakrancharoensin P, Yasan K, Hongyantarachai K, Ratanachokthorani K, Thammasarn J, Kuwuttiwai D, Ekanaprach T, Jittakarm R, Nuntapravechpun R, Hotarapavanon S, Kulrattanarak S, Tongkaew S, Deemeechai S, Mungthin M, Rangsin R, Wongsrichanalai V, Sakboonyarat B. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Agriculturists in a Rural Community, Central Thailand. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2020; 15:2189-2198. [PMID: 32982211 PMCID: PMC7501975 DOI: 10.2147/copd.s262050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among agriculturists in a remote rural community in central Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2020. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using standardized questionnaires to determine demographic characteristics and risk behaviors. COPD was defined by the spirometric criterion for airflow limitation constituting a postbronchodilator fixed ratio of FEV1/FVC <0.70 following the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines 2019. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for COPD, and the magnitude of association was presented as adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results A total of 546 agriculturists were enrolled in the study. The overall prevalence of COPD was 5.5% (95% CI: 3.6–7.4). The prevalence of COPD among males was 8.0% (95% CI: 4.7–11.3), and 3.2% (95% CI: 1.1–5.2) among females. The risk factors of COPD included age ≥60 years old (AOR 2.7, 95% CI: 1.1–7.0), higher intensity of smoking (AOR 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0–1.1), swine farm worker (AOR 4.1, 95% CI: 1.7–10.3), cattle farm worker (AOR 3.3, 95% CI: 1.4–8.2) and home cooking (AOR 2.7, 95% CI: 0.8–9.7). Conclusion Our data emphasized that COPD was one of the significant health problems among agriculturists in a rural community. Agricultural jobs such as animal farmers and behavioral factors such as smoking were associated with COPD. Effective public health interventions, especially, modifying risk behaviors, should be promoted in remote rural areas to prevent the disease and reduce its morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mathirut Mungthin
- Department of Pharmacology, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ram Rangsin
- Department of Military and Community Medicine, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Boonsub Sakboonyarat
- Department of Military and Community Medicine, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
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Occupational lung diseases in the 21st century: the changing landscape and future challenges. Curr Opin Pulm Med 2020; 26:142-148. [PMID: 31895883 DOI: 10.1097/mcp.0000000000000658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Occupational exposures remain an underrecognized and preventable cause of lung disease in high-income countries. The present review highlights the emergence of cleaning-related respiratory disease and the re-emergence of silicosis as examples of trends in occupational lung diseases in the 21st century. RECENT FINDINGS Employment trends, such as the shift from large-scale manufacturing to a service economy, the growth of the healthcare sector, and changing consumer products have changed the spectrum of work-related lung diseases. Following decades of progress in reducing traditional hazards such as silica in U.S. workplaces, cases of advanced silicosis have recently re-emerged with the production of engineered stone countertops. With growth in the healthcare and service sectors in the United States, cleaning products have become an important cause of work-related asthma and have recently been associated with an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in women. However, these occupational lung diseases largely go unrecognized by practicing clinicians. SUMMARY The present article highlights how changes in the economy and work structure can lead to new patterns of inhalational workplace hazards and respiratory disease, including cleaning-related respiratory disease and silicosis. Pulmonary clinicians need to be able to recognize and diagnose these occupational lung diseases, which requires a high index of suspicion and a careful occupational history.
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Occupational exposures and genetic susceptibility to occupational exposures are related to sickness absence in the Lifelines cohort study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12963. [PMID: 32737337 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69372-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the association between occupational exposures and sickness absence (SA), the mediating role of respiratory symptoms, and whether genetic susceptibility to SA upon occupational exposures exists. Logistic regression was used to examine associations and structural equation modelling was used for mediation analyses. Genetic susceptibility was investigated by including interactions between occupational exposures and 11 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Biological dust, mineral dust, and pesticides exposure were associated with a lower prevalence of any SA (OR (95% CI) = 0.72 (0.58-0.89), 0.88 (0.78-0.99), and 0.70 (0.55-0.89), respectively) while gases/fumes exposure was associated with a higher prevalence of long-term SA (1.46 (1.11-1.91)). Subjects exposed to solvents and metals had a higher prevalence of any (1.14 (1.03-1.26) and 1.68 (1.26-2.24)) and long-term SA (1.26 (1.08-1.46) and 1.75 (1.15-2.67)). Chronic cough and chronic phlegm mediated the association between high gases/fumes exposure and long-term SA. Two of 11 SNPs investigated had a positive interaction with exposure on SA and one SNP negatively interacted with exposure on SA. Exposure to metals and gases/fumes showed a clear dose-response relationship with a higher prevalence of long-term SA; contrary, exposure to pesticides and biological/mineral dust showed a protective effect on any SA. Respiratory symptoms mediated the association between occupational exposures and SA. Moreover, gene-by-exposure interactions exist.
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Soumagne T, Guillien A, Roche N, Annesi-Maesano I, Andujar P, Laurent L, Jouneau S, Botebol M, Laplante JJ, Dalphin JC, Degano B. In Patients with Mild-to-Moderate COPD, Tobacco Smoking, and Not COPD, Is Associated with a Higher Risk of Cardiovascular Comorbidity. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2020; 15:1545-1555. [PMID: 32669840 PMCID: PMC7335866 DOI: 10.2147/copd.s253417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Comorbidities including cardiovascular diseases are very common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) secondary to tobacco smoking and contribute to the overall severity of the disease. In non-smoking COPD, which accounts for about 25% of COPD cases worldwide, current knowledge on the frequency and determinants of comorbidities remains scarce. The aims of the current study were to assess the frequency of major comorbidities and to evaluate their determinants in a group of non-selected patients with mild-to-moderate COPD who were exposed to organic dust (dairy farmers), to tobacco smoking, or to both, and in controls without COPD who were exposed to organic dust (dairy farmers), or to tobacco smoking, or to both, or who were without exposure. Patients and Methods A total of 4665 subjects (2323 dairy farmers and 2342 non-farmers) including 355 patients with COPD and 4310 controls with normal spirometry were recruited through a large COPD screening program. Self-reported physician-diagnosed diseases with plausible links to COPD were recorded in this cross-sectional study. Results Whatever the exposure, cardiovascular comorbidities were not more frequent in patients with COPD than their counterparts without airflow limitation. A higher risk of major cardiovascular comorbidities was associated with tobacco smoking and a lower risk was associated with exposure to organic dusts. Conclusion Tobacco smoking (but not COPD) is associated with higher frequency of cardiovascular comorbidities. By contrast, being a dairy farmer exposed to organic dusts is associated with a lower frequency of the same comorbidities. This reinforces the crucial need for controlling established cardiovascular risk factors even in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaud Soumagne
- Service de Pneumologie, Oncologie Thoracique et Allergologie Respiratoire, CHU de Besançon, Besançon, France
| | - Alicia Guillien
- Equipe d'Epidémiologie Environnementale, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Centre de Recherche UGA, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicolas Roche
- Service de Pneumologie, Groupe Hospitalier Cochin, Site Val de Grâce, AP-HP and Université Paris Descartes (EA2511), Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Isabella Annesi-Maesano
- Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases UMR-S 707 Inserm/UPMC, Université Paris 6, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Andujar
- Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Créteil, Service de Pathologie Professionnelle et de l'Environnement, Créteil, France.,Université Paris-Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine, Créteil, France
| | - Lucie Laurent
- Service de Pneumologie, Oncologie Thoracique et Allergologie Respiratoire, CHU de Besançon, Besançon, France
| | - Stéphane Jouneau
- Service de Pneumologie, CHU de Rennes, Rennes, France.,Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail) - UMR-S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Martial Botebol
- Fédération des Maisons de Santé Comtoises (FéMaSaC), Beure, France
| | | | - Jean-Charles Dalphin
- Service de Pneumologie, Oncologie Thoracique et Allergologie Respiratoire, CHU de Besançon, Besançon, France.,UMR CNRS Chrono Environnement, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Bruno Degano
- Service Hospitalier Universitaire Pneumologie Physiologie, Pôle Thorax et Vaisseaux, CHU Grenoble, Alpes, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U 1042, Grenoble, France
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Elevated chronic bronchitis diagnosis risk among women in a local emergency department patient population associated with the 2012 heatwave and drought in Douglas county, NE USA. Heart Lung 2020; 49:934-939. [PMID: 32522416 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2020.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concerns about global climate change force local public health agencies to assess potential local disease risk. OBJECTIVE Determine if risk of an emergency department chronic bronchitis diagnosis in Douglas County, NE, was higher during the 2012 heatwave compared to the same calendar period in 2011. METHODS Retrospective, observational, case-control design selecting subjects from 2011 and 2012 emergency department (ED) admissions. Risk was estimated by conditional logistic regression. RESULTS The odds of an ED chronic bronchitis diagnosis among females was 3.77 (95% CI =1.37-10.21) times higher during the 2012 risk period compared to females admitted to the ED during the 2011 risk period. Chronic bronchitis ED diagnosis odds were 1.05 (95%CI=1.04 - 1.06) times higher for each year of age. ED, gender, and race modified the risk (i.e., effect). The overall chronic bronchitis ED risk estimate was 1.61 (95%CI=0.81 - 3.21) times higher during the 2012 risk period compared to the 2011 risk period. The mean ambient absolute humidity upon admission was 11.44 gr/m3 (95%CI; 10.40 - 12.47) among chronic bronchitis cases and 12.67 gr/m3 (95%CI; 12.63 - 12.71) among controls. CONCLUSION The odds of ED chronic bronchitis diagnosis was higher among female subjects admitted during the 2012 risk period compared to females admitted during the 2011 risk period. Age also increased chronic bronchitis ED diagnosis risk among 2012 risk period admissions compared to 2011 risk period admissions.
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Sadhra SS, Mohammed N, Kurmi OP, Fishwick D, De Matteis S, Hutchings S, Jarvis D, Ayres JG, Rushton L. Occupational exposure to inhaled pollutants and risk of airflow obstruction: a large UK population-based UK Biobank cohort. Thorax 2020; 75:468-475. [DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2019-213407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundAlthough around 10% to 15% of COPD burden can be attributed to workplace exposures, little is known about the role of different airborne occupational pollutants (AOP). The main aim of the study was to assess the effect size of the relationship between various AOP, their level and duration of exposure with airflow obstruction (AFO).MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 228 614 participants from the UK Biobank study who were assigned occupational exposure using a job exposure matrix blinded to health outcome. Adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CI for the risk of AFO for ever and years of exposure to AOPs were estimated using robust Poisson model. Sensitivity analyses were conducted for never-smokers, non-asthmatic and bi-pollutant model.ResultsOf 228 614 participants, 77 027 (33.7%) were exposed to at least one AOP form. 35.5% of the AFO cases were exposed to vapours, gases, dusts or fumes (VGDF) and 28.3% to dusts. High exposure to vapours increased the risk of occupational AFO by 26%. Exposure to dusts (adjusted PR=1.05; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.08), biological dusts (1.05; 1.01 to 1.10) and VGDF (1.04; 1.01 to 1.07) showed a significantly increased risk of AFO, however, statistically not significant following multiple testing. There was no significant increase in risk of AFO by duration (years) of exposure in current job. The results were null when restricted to never-smokers and when a bi-pollutant model was used. However, when data was analysed based on the level of exposure (low, medium and high) compared with no exposure, directionally there was increase in risk for those with high exposure to vapours, gases, fumes, mists and VGDF but statistically significant only for vapours.ConclusionHigh exposure (in current job) to airborne occupational pollutants was suggestive of higher risk of AFO. Future studies should investigate the relationship between lifetime occupational exposures and COPD.
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Flachs EM, Petersen SEB, Kolstad HA, Schlünssen V, Svendsen SW, Hansen J, Budtz-Jørgensen E, Andersen JH, Madsen IEH, Bonde JPE. Cohort Profile: DOC*X: a nationwide Danish occupational cohort with eXposure data - an open research resource. Int J Epidemiol 2020; 48:1413-1413k. [PMID: 31730707 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyz110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Esben Meulengracht Flachs
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Henrik Albert Kolstad
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Vivi Schlünssen
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Public Health, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Susanne Wulff Svendsen
- Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Occupational Medicine, Regional Hospital West Jutland - University Research Clinic, Herning, Denmark
| | - Johnni Hansen
- The Danish Cancer Society, Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Esben Budtz-Jørgensen
- Section of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Johan Hviid Andersen
- Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Occupational Medicine, Regional Hospital West Jutland - University Research Clinic, Herning, Denmark
| | | | - Jens Peter Ellekilde Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Institute of, Public, Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Torén K, Neitzel R, Sallsten G, Andersson E. Occupational exposure to soft paper dust and mortality. Occup Environ Med 2020; 77:549-554. [PMID: 32241835 PMCID: PMC7402447 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2019-106394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Occupational exposure to soft paper dust is associated with impaired lung function. Whether there is an increased risk for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unclear. METHODS We studied 7870 workers from three Swedish soft paper mills, and defined high-exposed workers, as having been exposed to soft paper dust exceeding 5 mg/m3 for at least 5 years. The remaining workers were classified as 'low exposed'. Person-years at risk were calculated and stratified according to gender, age and calendar-year. The follow-up time was from 1960 to 2013. The expected numbers of deaths were calculated using the Swedish population as reference and standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% CIs were assessed. RESULTS There was an increased mortality due to obstructive lung disease (asthma and COPD), among high-exposed workers, SMR 1.89, 95% CI 1.20 to 2.83, based on 23 observed cases. High-exposed workers had an increased mortality from asthma, SMR 4.13, 95% CI 1.78 to 8.14, based on eight observed cases. The increased asthma mortality was also observed among high-exposed men, SMR 4.38, 95% CI 1.42 to 10.2, based on five observed cases. The asthma mortality among low-exposed workers, both men and women, was not increased. The COPD mortality was not clearly increased among high-exposed workers (SMR 1.52, 95% CI 0.85 to 2.50). CONCLUSION High occupational exposure to soft paper dust increases the mortality due to asthma, and the results suggest that soft paper dust levels in workplaces should be below 5 mg/m3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kjell Torén
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden .,Dept of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Richard Neitzel
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Gerd Sallsten
- Dept of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Eva Andersson
- Dept of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Soumagne T, Roche N, Guillien A, Bouhaddi M, Rocchi S, Hue S, Claudé F, Bizard L, Andujar P, Dalphin JC, Degano B. Cardiovascular Risk in COPD. Chest 2020; 157:834-845. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
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Ohlander J, Fuhrimann S, Basinas I, Cherrie JW, Galea KS, Povey AC, van Tongeren M, Harding AH, Jones K, Vermeulen R, Kromhout H. Systematic review of methods used to assess exposure to pesticides in occupational epidemiology studies, 1993-2017. Occup Environ Med 2020; 77:357-367. [PMID: 32098789 PMCID: PMC7279185 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2019-105880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Objective Numerous exposure assessment methods (EAM) exist for investigating health effects of occupational exposure to pesticides. Direct (eg, biomonitoring) and indirect methods (eg, self-reported exposures) are however associated with degrees of exposure misclassification. We systematically reviewed EAM in studies of occupational pesticide exposure. Methods We searched for articles reporting observational epidemiological studies in MEDLINE and Embase published 1993 to 2017. The relative frequency of EAM was analysed according to EAM type (direct and indirect methods), health outcome, study design, study location (country) and specificity of assessment. Temporal trends in EAM were analysed. Results In 1298 included articles 1521 EAM occurrences were documented. Indirect EAM (78.3%), primarily self-reported exposures (39.3%) and job titles assessments (9.5%), were mainly applied in case-control studies (95.0%), in high-income countries (85.0%) and in studies of doctor-diagnosed health outcomes (>85%). Direct EAM (20.8%), primarily biomonitoring of blood (15.6%) or urine (4.7%), were predominantly applied in cross-sectional studies (29.8%), in lower middle-income countries (40.9%) and in studies of neurological (50.0%) outcomes. Between 1993 to 2017 no distinct time trends regarding the ratio indirect to direct methods was seen. Within the category of indirect methods use of self-reported exposures and job exposure matrices increased while assessments by job titles and registers decreased. The use of algorithms showed no trend. The specificity of pesticide assessment increased since studies assessing exposure by using job title as a proxy declined. Assessments of type of pesticide increased. Conclusion Over the last 25 years, the ratio (5:1) of indirect to direct EAM applied in articles on occupational pesticide epidemiology stayed relatively constant; changes were mainly attributable to increasing use of self-reported exposures and job exposure matrices. This review, combined with studies assessing EAM validity, will inform on magnitudes of exposure misclassification and help improve the quality of studies on occupational pesticides exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Ohlander
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Samuel Fuhrimann
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ioannis Basinas
- Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - John W Cherrie
- Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karen S Galea
- Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew C Povey
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Martie van Tongeren
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Kate Jones
- Health and Safety Executive, Harpur Hill, Buxton, UK
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Kromhout
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Madhwal S, Prabhu V, Sundriyal S, Shridhar V. Ambient bioaerosol distribution and associated health risks at a high traffic density junction at Dehradun city, India. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2020; 192:196. [PMID: 32086610 PMCID: PMC7087893 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-8158-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Traffic junctions are one of the crowded places where commuters are at high risk of developing respiratory infections, due to their greater exposure to airborne and human transmitted microbial pathogens. An airborne bioaerosol assessment study was carried out at a high traffic density junction focusing on their concentration, contribution in respirable particulate matter (PM), and factors influencing the distribution and microbial diversity. Andersen six-stage viable cascade impactor and a wide-range aerosol spectrometer were used for microbial and particulate matter measurements, respectively. Statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between bioaerosol concentration, vehicular count, PM concentration, and meteorological parameters. The mean bacteria concentration (1962.95 ± 651.85 CFU/m3) was significantly different than fungi (1118.95 ± 428.34 CFU/m3) (p < 0.05). The temporal distribution showed maximum concentration for bacteria and fungi during monsoon and postmonsoon seasons, respectively. In terms of bioaerosol loading, a considerable fraction of fungi (3.25%) and bacteria (5.65%) contributed to the total airborne PM. Most abundant bioaerosols were Aspergillus (27.58%), Penicillium (23%), and Cladosporium (14.05%) (fungi), and Micrococcus (25.73%), Staphylococcus (17.98%), and Bacillus (13.8%) (bacteria). Traffic-induced roadside soil resuspension and microbial aerosolizations from the human body were identified as the chief sources of bioaerosol emissions. The risk of lower respiratory tract infections caused by anthroponotic (human transmitted) transfer of bacterial pathogens is very high. The results of the study can be used to trace sources of microbial mediated communicable diseases, and to recommend appropriate safety measures to avoid pathogenic bioaerosol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Madhwal
- Environmental Pollution Assessment Laboratory, School of Environment & Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, India
| | - Vignesh Prabhu
- Environmental Pollution Assessment Laboratory, School of Environment & Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, India
| | - Sangeeta Sundriyal
- Environmental Pollution Assessment Laboratory, School of Environment & Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, India
| | - Vijay Shridhar
- Environmental Pollution Assessment Laboratory, School of Environment & Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, India.
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Salvaraji L, Jeffree MS, Avoi R, Akhir HM, Rahim SSSA, Lukman KA. Respiratory Symptoms Among Domestic Waste Collectors. Medeni Med J 2020; 35:304-309. [PMID: 33717622 PMCID: PMC7945730 DOI: 10.5222/mmj.2020.82246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Increasing amount of waste concurrently increases the risk of exposure to hazardous materials among waste collectors. Vigorous exertion in the field intensifies the abundance of contaminated inspirable droplets. If left undetected and untreated, it may provoke significant pernicious health effects and redundant burdens to employees and employers. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and their associated factors among domestic waste collectors. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah between January and April 2020. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire which encompasses details about sociodemographic, health status, environment, and employment characteristics. Results A total of 290 waste collectors with a mean age of 40 (±9) years old were participated in the study. Most of them were from Kadazan-Dusun-Murut ethnic origin with educational background till secondary school. The average monthly income of the workers was USD 298.45 (±171.9) per month, and they had been in service for 11 (±9.04) years. Respiratory symptoms were seen in 21% of the workers. The identified significant risk factors were determined as underlying chronic diseases (OR=2.34; 95% CI=1.054, 5.219) and contact with pets (OR=1.87; 95% CI=1.004, 3.288). Conclusion Respiratory symptoms are prevalent amidst domestic waste collectors and related to their health and field activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loganathan Salvaraji
- Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Mohammad Saffree Jeffree
- Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Richard Avoi
- Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Hazelina Mohd Akhir
- Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Syed Sharizman Syed Abdul Rahim
- Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Khamisah Awang Lukman
- Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Center for Occupational Safety and Health, Sabah, Malaysia
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46
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Particulate Matter Inhalation Exposure Chambers and Parameters Affecting Their Performance: A Systematic Review Study. HEALTH SCOPE 2019. [DOI: 10.5812/jhealthscope.80163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Rodríguez-Zamora MG, Zock JP, van Wendel de Joode B, Mora AM. Respiratory Health Outcomes, Rhinitis, and Eczema in Workers from Grain Storage Facilities in Costa Rica. Ann Work Expo Health 2019; 62:1077-1086. [PMID: 30016387 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxy068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives To examine the associations of inhalable grain dust exposure with respiratory health outcomes, rhinitis, and eczema reported by workers from rice, wheat, and maize storage facilities. Methods A cross-sectional study of 136 workers (73 operators and 63 administrative staff and other workers) from eight Costa Rican grain storage facilities was conducted in 2014-2015. Full-shift personal inhalable dust samples from all workers were collected. Study participants were administered a short version of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire to identify symptoms of asthma, chronic bronchitis, rhinitis, and eczema. Associations between grain dust exposure and health outcomes were assessed using multivariable logistic and negative binomial regression models adjusted for age, smoking history, grain type, and presence of pets or farm animals in the home. Results The median inhalable grain dust concentration was 2.0 (25th to 75th percentile: 0.3-7.0) mg m-3. Higher concentrations of inhalable dust were associated with increased odds of (i) asthma symptoms or medication use [adjusted Odds ratio (ORa) per 10-fold increase in dust concentration 2.7; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-6.7]; (ii) a score of at least two out of five symptoms suggestive of asthma (ORa 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0-1.3); and (iii) eczema (ORa 3.6; 95% CI: 1.7-9.6). No associations of inhalable grain dust exposure with chronic bronchitis and rhinitis were observed. Conclusions High exposure to inhalable dust in Costa Rican grain storage facilities was associated to asthma symptoms and eczema in workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- María G Rodríguez-Zamora
- Escuela de Ingeniería en Seguridad Laboral e Higiene Ambiental (EISLHA), Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Jan-Paul Zock
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain.,University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Center Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Omar Dengo Campus, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Ana M Mora
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Omar Dengo Campus, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.,Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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48
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Duarte-de-Araújo A, Teixeira P, Hespanhol V, Correia-de-Sousa J. Characterisation of morbidity in a COPD hospital cohort. Pulmonology 2019; 25:200-207. [PMID: 31155471 DOI: 10.1016/j.pulmoe.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To characterise the morbidity of COPD out-patients based on symptoms, acute exacerbations, FEV1 and comorbidities, and to explore the association between different patients' characteristics such as social, demographic, clinical history or exposure. METHODS Stable COPD outpatients over 40 years old diagnosed according to GOLD criteria were included consecutively; the exclusion criteria were only refusal to participate and inability to understand clinical questionnaires. A survey of demographic and clinical data was conducted. Symptoms were evaluated using the CAT and mMRC questionnaires. The number of COPD acute exacerbations reported in the previous year was assessed, and spirometry performed on all participants according to ATS/ERS recommendations. Different variables were collected and then related to each other. RESULTS We studied 303 COPD outpatients, all Caucasians, 79.5% males and mostly elderly. 65.7% of participants reported having low monthly income and 87.8% a low education level. Tobacco smoking was the most common exposure identified but a substantial proportion of COPD patients were non-smokers (26%). Frequent acute exacerbations were reported by 38.0% of patients. The mean post-bronchodilator FEV1 was 53.2%. The distribution of patients according to GOLD 2017 stage and classification was respectively 9.9%, 41.9%, 35.0% and 13.2% from 1 to 4 and 23.1%, 39.6%, 2.3% and 35.0% from GOLD A to D. Only 29 patients (9.5%) presented no comorbid conditions, and the most common were hypertension, heart diseases and dyslipidaemia. CONCLUSIONS Our data confirms COPD as a complex and heterogeneous disorder, with a significant morbidity due to the nature of symptoms, frequent comorbidities and exacerbations. A substantial proportion of COPD patients were never-smokers, mainly women, calling attention to the need for COPD recognition in these cases. COPD in women, in never-smokers and in patients with a previous diagnosis of asthma presented some specific characteristics. Some patient characteristics are associated with frequent acute exacerbations. FEV1 was strongly related both to symptoms and exacerbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Duarte-de-Araújo
- Respiratory Department, H. Sª Oliveira, Guimarães, Portugal; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - P Teixeira
- Respiratory Department, H. Sª Oliveira, Guimarães, Portugal; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - V Hespanhol
- Department of Pneumology, Centro Hospitalar de S. João, Faculty of Medicine (FMUP), University of Porto, Portugal
| | - J Correia-de-Sousa
- Respiratory Department, H. Sª Oliveira, Guimarães, Portugal; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Horizonte Family Health Unit, Matosinhos, Portugal
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Alif SM, Dharmage S, Benke G, Dennekamp M, Burgess J, Perret JL, Lodge C, Morrison S, Johns DP, Giles G, Gurrin L, Thomas PS, Hopper JL, Wood-Baker R, Thompson B, Feather I, Vermeulen R, Kromhout H, Jarvis D, Garcia Aymerich J, Walters EH, Abramson MJ, Matheson MC. Occupational exposure to solvents and lung function decline: A population based study. Thorax 2019; 74:650-658. [PMID: 31028237 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2018-212267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE While cross-sectional studies have shown associations between certain occupational exposures and lower levels of lung function, there was little evidence from population-based studies with repeated lung function measurements. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the associations between occupational exposures and longitudinal lung function decline in the population-based Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study. METHODS Lung function decline between ages 45 years and 50 years was assessed using data from 767 participants. Using lifetime work history calendars completed at age 45 years, exposures were assigned according to the ALOHA plus Job Exposure Matrix. Occupational exposures were defined as ever exposed and cumulative exposure -unit- years. We investigated effect modification by sex, smoking and asthma status. RESULTS Compared with those without exposure, ever exposures to aromatic solvents and metals were associated with a greater decline in FEV1 (aromatic solvents 15.5 mL/year (95% CI -24.8 to 6.3); metals 11.3 mL/year (95% CI -21.9 to - 0.7)) and FVC (aromatic solvents 14.1 mL/year 95% CI -28.8 to - 0.7; metals 17.5 mL/year (95% CI -34.3 to - 0.8)). Cumulative exposure (unit years) to aromatic solvents was also associated with greater decline in FEV1 and FVC. Women had lower cumulative exposure years to aromatic solvents than men (mean (SD) 9.6 (15.5) vs 16.6 (14.6)), but greater lung function decline than men. We also found association between ever exposures to gases/fumes or mineral dust and greater decline in lung function. CONCLUSIONS Exposures to aromatic solvents and metals were associated with greater lung function decline. The effect of aromatic solvents was strongest in women. Preventive strategies should be implemented to reduce these exposures in the workplace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheikh M Alif
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shyamali Dharmage
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Geza Benke
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Martine Dennekamp
- Environmental Public Health, Environment Protection Authority Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - John Burgess
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Perret
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Caroline Lodge
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen Morrison
- Department of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David Peter Johns
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Graham Giles
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Cancer Epidemiology and Intelligence Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lyle Gurrin
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul S Thomas
- Faculty of Medicine, University of new South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John Llewelyn Hopper
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Bruce Thompson
- Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Iain Feather
- Medicine, Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Environmental Epidemiology Division, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Kromhout
- Environmental Epidemiology Division, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Debbie Jarvis
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | | | - E Haydn Walters
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melanie Claire Matheson
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Cyprowski M, Ławniczek-Wałczyk A, Gołofit-Szymczak M, Frączek K, Kozdrój J, Górny RL. Bacterial aerosols in a municipal landfill environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 660:288-296. [PMID: 30640097 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Landfills collecting substantial amounts of municipal waste support multiplication of different bacteria mainly due to organic matter contained in the deposited materials. With time, they may become active emission sources of these microorganisms. Taking into account both occupational and public health and safety, there is an indisputable necessity to monitor the level of air contamination caused by both bacterial cells and their components (e.g., endotoxins). In this study, the concentrations of total viable bacteria (TVB), and Gram-negative bacteria (GNB), as well as their particle size distributions and concentrations of GNB endotoxins were assessed at various locations within the landfill area. The concentrations of TVB and GNB in the air samples changed depending on the season, location (i.e. active sector versus surroundings) and landfill activity level (i.e. exploitation or standstill periods). Higher abundances of endotoxins were found during the standstill period, and they were significantly correlated with organic dust concentrations. The microbial particle size distribution was associated with the landfill operational state, being predominated by fine below 4.7 μm and coarse fractions above 7.0 μm within the active sector during exploitation and standstill periods, respectively. These results supported by a spatial distribution of bacterial aerosol indicate a clear impact of operated landfill on microbiological air quality within the occupied location and nearby areas. Considering health and safety of landfill workers and neighboring residents, who can be exposed to airborne microbial pollutants, repeated bioaerosol monitoring need to be established. It should facilitate both a special planning within the landfill area and undertaking preventive actions in its near and distant surroundings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Cyprowski
- Biohazard Laboratory, Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute, Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Anna Ławniczek-Wałczyk
- Biohazard Laboratory, Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute, Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Gołofit-Szymczak
- Biohazard Laboratory, Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute, Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Frączek
- Department of Microbiology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
| | - Jacek Kozdrój
- Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Rzeszów, Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Rafał L Górny
- Biohazard Laboratory, Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute, Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warsaw, Poland
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