No Correlation between Blood Benzene Levels and Luteinizing Hormone Plasma Values in Outdoor Workers

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether low-dose exposure to benzene, an environmental pollutant to which male and female traffic policemen are daily exposed to could cause alterations in plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) levels.

METHODS

From an initial sample of 1594 workers, we only selected 95 workers of whom study we knew the values of late-shift benzene and LH hormone. All subjects underwent biological monitoring (final blood benzene evaluation) and luteinizing hormone dosing. Excluding subjects with the main confounding factors, the final sample included 76 workers. The normal distribution of the variables was evaluated using the Kolmogorov - Smirnov test, followed by the logarithmic transformation of the LH and benzene values. The comparison among means was performed by using the t-test for the independent samples. The ANOVA test was performed for variables with more than 2 modes (ages and seniority) and Pearson correlation index between variables in the total sample and after subdivision as to sex, job, sports activity and smoking. The results were considered significant when p values were less than 0.05.

RESULTS/CONCLUSION

The study did not show a correlation between benzene levels and LH plasma levels in outdoor workers.

Effects on Plasmatic Androstenedione in Female Workers Exposed to Urban Stressors

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether occupational exposure to urban stressors can cause alterations on androstenedione plasma levels and related diseases in female traffic police compared to a control group. The research was carried out on an initial sample of 468 female workers (209 traffic police and 259 controls). After excluding the subjects with confounding factors, 192 female subjects: 96 traffic police and 96 controls were included in the study. Traffic police and controls were matched by age, length of service, body mass index, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking habits, habitual consumption of Italian coffee, and habitual intake of soy and liquorice in diet. The results show that the percentage of subjects with fertility and mental health disorders were no different between traffic police and controls. Mean androstenedione values were significantly higher in female traffic police compared to controls. The distribution into classes of androstenedione values in traffic police was statistically significant. The percentage of traffic police with fertility and mental health disorders were not significant compared to controls. Our results suggest that the occupational exposure to urban stressors could alter plasma androstenedione levels in female traffic police. According to our previous research all the hormonal parameters studied, including androstenedione, could be used as early biological markers of chronic exposure to urban stressors, usable in occupational sets.

Work related stress and blood glucose levels

AIM

The aim of the study is to evaluate work-related subjective stress in a group of workers on a major Italian company in the field of healthcare through the administration of a valid "questionnaire-tool indicator" (HSE Indicator Tool), and to analyze any correlation between stress levels taken from questionnaire scores and blood glucose values.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We studied a final sample consisting of 241 subjects with different tasks. The HSE questionnaire - made up of 35 items (divided into 7 organizational dimensions) with 5 possible answers - has been distributed to all the subjects in occasion of the health surveillance examinations provided by law. The questionnaire was then analyzed using its specific software to process the results related to the 7 dimensions. These results were compared using the Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression with the blood glucose values obtained from each subject.

RESULTS

From the analysis of the data the following areas resulted critical, in other words linked to an intermediate (yellow area) or high (red area) condition of stress: sustain from managers, sustain from colleagues, quality of relationships and professional changes. A significant positive correlation (p <0.05) between the mean values of all critical areas and the concentrations of glucose values have been highlighted with the correlation index of Pearson. Multiple linear regression confirmed these findings, showing that the critical dimensions resulting from the questionnaire were the significant variables that can increase the levels of blood glucose.

CONCLUSION

The preliminary results indicate that perceived work stress can be statistically associated with increased levels of blood glucose.

Urban stressors and plasmatic 17-β-estradiol (E2) in male exposed workers

The aim of the study is to evaluate if the occupational exposure to urban stressors could cause alterations in 17-β-estradiol (E2) plasma levels and related disorders in male traffic police compared with a control group. After excluding from the study, the subjects with the principal confounding factors, traffic police and controls were matched by age, working life, Body Mass Index (BMI), smoking and drinking habit. A total of 171 male traffic police and 171 controls were included in the study. In traffic police, mean E2 values were significantly lower versus controls ( P < 0.001). The distribution of E2 values in traffic police and controls was significant ( P < 0.001). No significant differences were found in percentage of traffic police versus controls concerning the following questionnaire items: fertility and mental health diseases. Our results suggest that the occupational exposure to chemical urban stressor, interacting with and adding to the psychosocial ones, could alter plasma E2 concentrations in male traffic police compared with a control group. According to our previous researches on other neuro-immune-endocrine parameters, E2 could be used as an early biological marker, valuable for the group, to be used in occupational set even before the onset of the pathologies.

[Evaluation of liver function between indoor and outdoor workers: preliminary results]

INTRODUCTION

The aim of our study is to compare liver damage in "outdoor" environment technicians, a category occupationally exposed, and in "indoor" workers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We studied 142 male technicians of the environment exposed to urban pollution and 142 male "indoor" workers not exposed. We compared mean and standard deviation of the following liver parameters: glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), gamma-glutamyl-traspeptidasi (γGT) and alkaline phosphatase (PHA), total bilirubin (TB) and direct (DB). We made the two groups comparable for age, length of service, BMI, alcohol consumption and smoking habits, and excluded the workers who presented confounding factors.

RESULTS

We found statistically significant differences about the levels of γGT, PHA, GPT and albumin between the "outdoor" workers exposed and the "indoor" control group. In the outdoor group we observed statistically significant values, GPT (51.8 ± 30.6 I.U./l vs. 30 ± 22.3 I.U./l; p = 0.000), γ-GT (42.2 ± 29.4 I.U./l vs. 22.4 ± 20.7 I.U./l; p = 0.000) and PHA (75.7 ± 20.6 I.U./l vs. 59.1 ± 19.6 I.U./l; p= 0.000) compared to the unexposed group. No statistically significant difference emerged between the averages for the values of GOT (25.3 ± 20.7 I.U./l vs. 26 ± 17.7 I.U./l; p = 0.736) in two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

It clearly emerges that the contaminants may alter the values of liver tests after prolonged exposure.

Work-related stress in healthcare workers

BACKGROUND

In the assessment of work-related stress it is crucial to find the factors that generate and increase it in order to identify categories of individuals at risk, to plan interventions for prevention, elimination or reduction of risk. The aim of the study is to assess the subjective stress in 68 workers of a large Italian company dealing with human health, through the use of a questionnaire-indicating tool, elaborated by the Italian National Institute for insurance against accidents at work (INAIL) and developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

METHODS

We studied a final sample of 68 individuals (34 drivers/rescuers and 34 video display unit (VDU) operators). The questionnaire consists of 35 items (divided into six areas) with five possible answers each, that cover working conditions considered potential causes of stress.

RESULTS

The drivers/rescuers had a better performance than the VDU operators, especially in the areas "demand", "relationships" and "role". We compared men and women in the two groups, finding that, in VDU operators, women had a better performance than men in all areas, except "role" and "changes", in which the overall scores were the same in men and women. In the drivers/rescuers women showed more critical scores in the items "relationships" and "change".

CONCLUSION

The results show that: the questionnaire-indicating tool is useful, with a demonstrated effectiveness for the occupational physician during the visits and proven validity; additional future efforts should focus on understanding the psycho-social, organizational and individual problems related to stress and the consequent implementation of preventive measures.

Occupational exposure to urban stressors and effects on atrial natriuretic peptide: preliminary results

PURPOSE

The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate whether occupational exposure to low doses of pollutants present in the air of the city selected for the study could cause alterations in the concentration of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in workers from the Municipal Police with outdoor tasks, compared to those with indoor tasks.

METHODS

A total of 208 non-smoking male and female subjects were enrolled and divided on the basis of whether their tasks were mainly outdoors or indoors. The dosage of plasma ANP was carried out on all workers included in the study. Differences between means and frequencies were compared using student's t-test for unpaired data and chi-square test with Yates' correction, and they were considered significant when the p value was <0.05.

RESULTS

Even after the subdivision of the total sample on the basis of sex, mean plasma levels of ANP were higher but not statistically significant in traffic police compared with controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The preliminary results suggest that further studies should be conducted before the influence of urban pollution on ANP could be confirmed or rejected.

Early diagnosis of hearing loss: otoacoustic emissions evoked by distortion products and pure-tone audiometry: Preliminary findings

OBJECTIVE

Literary studies underline the effectiveness of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), which are not affected by the collaboration of the subject examined, in the early diagnosis of hearing loss. Aim of the study is to compare the objective technique of DPOAEs with respect to the pure-tone audiometry in early diagnosis of hearing loss.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The clinical research was carried out on 852 workers. All subjects underwent pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry and distortion products.

RESULTS

The results show: a) a prevalence of subjects with impaired DPOAEs higher than the prevalence of subjects with impaired audiometries in the studied samples; and, after division by gender: b) a prevalence of subjects with impaired DPOAEs higher than the prevalence of subjects with impaired audiometries only in men; c) a prevalence of impaired DPOAEs and of impaired audiometries in men higher than in women.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest the higher effectiveness of DPOAEs compared to pure-tone audiometry in making an early diagnosis of hearing loss.

[Stress and work-related injuries]

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate in scientific literature the more frequent work injuries among the occupational categories examined (construction workers, healthcare workers, night workers and shift work, drivers) and to identify occupational stressors that increase the risk of injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research was conducted through review of the scientific literature between 1990 and 2014. Two hundred articles were found of which 42 selected in the following categories: construction workers, healthcare workers, shift workers, lorry drivers.

RESULTS

The movement of machinery and working at height are due to injury for building sector and they were positively correlated with physical (r = 0,206) and mental (r = 0,254) stress. In health workers the injuries are more frequently bruises and sprains (50%). Studies showed a higher rate of injury in a group of shift workers compared to a control group on a rota basis (p <0.0001). Road accidents for drivers represent the most frequent cause of injury of which 13% comes from falling asleep, while 31% from distractions (OR = 3.16; CI = 1:22 to 8:24).

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses have frequent injuries due to bruises, lumbago, punctures with needles and surgical wounds. Construction workers often suffer serious injury derived from falls at height, handling machinery. For workers on a rota basis, injuries are often related to lack of sleep. Road accidents in drivers are the most common injuries. A synergistic action finalized to promote health and safety organization, to ensure a work environment more secure, is advisable.

Correlation between urinary nickel and testosterone plasma values in workers occupationally exposed to urban stressors

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to assess whether occupational exposure to low doses of nickel (Ni) present in urban air can cause alterations in the concentration of plasma testosterone in workers of the Municipal Police of a large Italian city assigned to different types of outdoor tasks.

METHODS

359 male subjects were included in the study and divided on the basis of job, age, length of service and smoking habits. The dosage of the atmospheric Ni was performed by personal dosimetries on a sample of the workers included in the study. For each worker included in the study the dosage of whole blood Ni and of the plasma testosterone was carried out. The total sample was subjected to the independent-samples T-test and the Mann-Whitney U test for variables with 2 modes (smoking cigarette) and the ANOVA test and the Kruskal Wallis test for variables with more than 2 modes (age, length of service and job function). The correlation of Pearson with p at 2 wings between the variables was evaluated in the total sample and after subdivision on the basis of smoking and on the basis of the job. After taking into account the major confounding factors the multiple linear regression was performed on the total sample and after breakdown by tasks.

RESULTS

The correlation between the values of urinary Ni and the values of plasma testosterone on the total sample and for all classes of subdivision was found constantly negative. These results were confirmed by multiple linear regression, which indicated the Ni as the only significant variable that can contribute to the alterations of the testosterone.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results, the Authors suggest that occupational exposure to low doses of Ni present in the urban environment is able to influence some lines of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in exposed workers.

Workers exposed to urban stressors and the effects on antidiuretic hormone secretion

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether urban pollutants can affect plasma levels of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in outdoor workers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We selected 208 subjects, 104 exposed to urban stressors and 104 non exposed to urban stressors. We divided these workers in 3 groups: Group 1 (non-smokers and non-drinkers), Group 2 (smokers and not drinkers) and Group 3 (drinkers and not smokers). The means and standard deviations of ADH were calculated, and a Student's t-test was used to compare means. The data were considered significant at p ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

The outdoor workers in Group 1 had significantly reduced plasma levels of ADH. In contrast, the outdoor workers in Groups 2 and 3 had increased plasma levels of ADH. These results were consistent in both men and women.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that urban pollutants may influence the secretion of ADH.

Liver function in workers exposed of the cosmetics industry

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to assess whether occupational exposure to substances used in the cosmetic factories may cause effects on the liver and blood counts in exposed workers.

METHODS

The study included 48 exposed workers and 86 unexposed controls. All workers included in the study underwent blood count, white blood count, total, direct and indirect bilirubin, transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and cholinesterase. The differences between the means and frequencies were compared using the Student's t-test and chi-square test with Yates correction and were considered significant when the p value was <0.05.

RESULTS

The analysis of the results shows that 35.4% of workers in the cosmetics industry had liver test values above the range. We noted a statistically significant higher prevalence of GPT (p <0.05) and total bilirubin (p <0.05) in the workers of the cosmetics industry compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The results obtained suggest that occupational exposure to low doses of substances used in the cosmetic industry is able to influence some liver parameters in occupationally exposed workers.

Exposure to solvents in health care workers: assessment of the hepatic effects

OBJECTIVES

The use of organic solvents has been linked to pathologies of different apparatuses. The purpose of this study is to analyze the liver damage induced by organic solvents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed 556 workers, 278 exposed to organic solvents (group 1) and 278 not exposed to organic solvents (group 2). The exposed group was further divided into 2 subgroups: group 1A (139 workers exposed to considerable doses) and group 1B (139 workers exposed to negligible doses). Mean and standard deviation of some liver parameters was calculated. Statistically significant differences between the liver parameters in the different groups and subgroups were detected using the t-test. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the associations between laboratory parameters and the independent variable.

RESULTS

The data so far obtained showed the existence of statistically significant differences with regard to the total protein, total bilirubin, transaminase GOT and GPT, Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (gamma-GT).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm that exposure to solvents can alter some liver parameters. The blood tests we used can be useful tool for the assessment of the actual occupational hazards and to verify the effectiveness of the measures taken for the prevention and protection.

[Assessment of the cancerogenic risk in schools]

The aim of the study is to verify the presence of the carcinogenic risk for teachers, technical assistants and students in 96 secondary schools, providing suggestions for its assessment. Since the analysis of the national and international scientific literature does not reveal data on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk nor in schools nor in similar environments, the authors gave importance to the preliminary phase of the risk assessment that is to say the inspections aimed to detect the possible presence of risk agents and to identify the possible exposed subjects. The evaluation of the exposition through the execution of environmental and biological monitoring has to be performed, according to the authors opinion, only after this indispensable preliminary phase. The carcinogenic risk has been ascertained in relation to the presence of substances used for didactical means (fuels, mineral oils, reagents, enamels and pitch, ceramic mixtures and metallic alloys) or produced during practical activities (hard wood dusts, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) deriving from high temperatures cooking), analyzing the tasks implying their use and identifying the exposed subjects. The presence of carcinogenic agents has been found out in 54 on 96 schools. In order to preserve the health status of the exposed workers in schools, it is necessary the adoption of the suitable measures of prevention and protection similarly to what is established for all the work places, even before the eventual environmental monitoring.

[Food service workers and cooks: occupational risk assessment]

The aim of the study is to evaluate the occupational risks among food service workers and cooks. During the occupational risks assessment the following risk factors must be evaluated: musculoskeletal disorders, chemical risk (cleaning kitchen work surface, dishes, utensils ecc.) biological risk (contact with foods or biological agents) cancerogenic risk (by baking smoke inhalation), and psycho-social stress. In this study the preventive measures and protective equipment to prevent health hazards for these workers have been evaluated (i.e. aspiration hood, adapted ventilation, chosen of less harmful methods of baking, ecc.). In particular the performance of rigid behavioural norms and hygienic procedures is very important for cooks and food service workers to reduce the risk of occupational infections.

[Evidence based medicine and mobbing]

The phenomenon of the physical, moral or psychical violence in the working environment, variously indicated as "mobbing", "workplace bullying" or "workplace harassment", is to date object of numerous studies, mostly of epidemiological type, which are yet to clear, in a sufficient way, the aspects of that phenomenon, the possible causes, risk factors, constituent characteristics and consequences. Our search, a systematic review of the existing studies in literature and a meta-analysis of the jobs chosen to such scope, has shown that only a small percentage of the researches conducted on the topic is represented from studies that collected original information on the subject. The results of the meta-analysis show that in the category of the mobbed workers the psychosomatic disturbs, stress, and anxiety are greater than in the group of controls and that the perception of the surrounding environment is more negative in the victims of mobbing compared with the not mobbed workers. The value of such results is reduced by the characteristics and the heterogeneity of the studies.

Anxiety, musculoskeletal and visual disorders in video display terminal workers

AIM

The increase in the working population assigned to video display terminals (VDT) has led to ever growing attention to reports on health effects. We studied musculoskeletal and visual disorders and levels of anxiety in 2 groups of VDT operators with different tasks, in order to evaluate if they could be influenced by organizational and intrinsically working factors.

METHODS

The study included 190 VDT operators, subdivided into 2 groups (A and B) on the basis of tasks performed and average hours/ week spent at VDT (25 vs 36), and 190 controls not assigned to VDT. Ocular and musculoskeletal subjective symptoms and objective findings were assessed for all subjects, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) test was administered.

RESULTS

For VDT operators of the 2 groups, the relationship between ocular and musculoskeletal symptoms and findings, working life (P=0.0001) and number of hours spent at the VDT (symptoms P=0.001 and P=0.0001; findings P=0.002 and P=0.007), was significant. Group B VDT operators showed significantly higher state anxiety (S-anxiety) levels vs those in Group A and controls (P=0.001); trait anxiety (T-anxiety) was significantly higher in Group B and controls vs Group A (P=0.001 and P=0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm the literature data about musculoskeletal and visual disorders and, as for anxiety, seem to denote a higher relevance of factors related to labor organization vs VDT use per se.

Plasma 17-alpha-OH-progesterone in female workers exposed to urban pollutants

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether occupational exposure to urban pollutants could cause alteration in plasma 17-alpha-OH-P levels in female workers. After excluding the subjects with the principal confounding factors, traffic police and controls were matched by age, working life, age of menarche, menstrual cycle day, BMI, drinking habits, habitual consumption of soy and Italian coffee. 68 traffic police and 82 controls (7th day; follicular phase of the ovarian cycle), 37 traffic police and 20 controls (21st day; lutheal phase of the ovarian cycle) were included in the study and matched for the above mentioned variables. In follicular and lutheal phase of ovarian cycle, 17-alpha-OH-P mean levels and the distribution of 17-alpha-OH-P values were significantly higher in traffic police vs. controls. A higher instance of mental health disorders in traffic police vs. controls was found, although the difference was not significant. Considering that the potential confounding effect of extraneous factors was controlled by restricting the study population and by matching traffic police vs. controls on the above mentioned variables, our results suggest that occupational exposure to urban pollutants may alter plasma 17-alpha-OH-P concentrations. 17-alpha-OH-P could be used in an occupational setting as an early biomarker of exposure to urban pollutants, valuable for a group, even before the onset of related pathologies.