Low birth weight in newborns to women employed in jobs with frequent exposure to organic solvents

The effects of occupational exposure to organic solvents in pregnancy on foetal growth are still unclear. Our aim was to study whether live newborns to women employed in paid jobs with frequent exposure had a different risk of being born with low birth weight (LBW), compared to those of women in jobs without such exposure. The study population was all singleton newborns delivered in the industrial township of Mon?egorsk (N?=?26,415). Information about occupation and characteristics of the mothers and babies was obtained from the local population-based birth register, and registered job function was used to classify exposure. We observed an elevated risk of LBW among live, singleton newborns in the exposed group (adjusted odds ratio: 1.68 [95% CI: 1.18–2.41]), which predominantly consisted of painters. The adjusted odds of LBW in the exposed group were also higher among term-born neonates. In addition, a lower mean birth weight was observed among the exposed.     

Survey of reproductive hazards among oil, chemical, and atomic workers exposed to halogenated hydrocarbons

Several halogenated hydrocarbons are suspected of causing adverse reproductive effects. Because of such concerns, the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union surveyed the reproductive histories of two groups of workers. One group worked at plants engaged in the production or use of halogenated hydrocarbons (exposed) whereas the others had no such opportunity for exposure (nonexposed). Although a low response rate precludes firm conclusions, the 1,280 completed questionnaires provide useful data for generating hypotheses in this developing field of interest. A history of diagnosed cancer was reported more frequently among exposed workers. The infant mortality rate was also significantly elevated among the offspring of exposed workers. No risk gradient was observed for episodes of infertility, fetal loss, congenital defects, or low-birthweight offspring. Concerns with nonresponse, exposure characterization, possible confounding factors, and limited statistical power are addressed. The results provide further suggestions which help to direct studies of occupational reproductive risks.     

罗湖区工作场所有机溶剂挥发性成分危害因素分析

目的了解深圳市罗湖区工作场所中有机溶剂的使用情况,分析其挥发性有机组分,为现场检测职业病危害因素识别提供依据。方法收集2011-2013年辖区内企业工作场所使用的溶剂155份,使用气相色谱-质谱联用技术进行挥发性组分分析。结果样品中共检出82种挥发性组分,累计检出799次,主要为烷烃类、苯系物、酯类、酮类、含氯类和醇类6类。结论有机溶剂成分复杂,对其成分进行分析对识别工作场所职业病危害因素非常重要。     

Adverse reproductive outcomes among male painters with occupational exposure to organic solvents

Objectives

To assess the risks of reproductive disorders and birth defects in offspring of male painters with exposure to organic solvents, and to determine the shape of the dose‐response relationship.

Methods

Random samples of painters and carpenters were drawn from workers affiliated with the Dutch Trade Union for Construction Workers, the Netherlands, 2001. Information on reproductive outcomes, occupational exposures, and lifestyle habits was retrospectively obtained through self‐administered questionnaires filled in by 398 painters exposed to organic solvents in paints, thinners, and cleansers in the period of three months before the last pregnancy, and 302 carpenters with little or no exposure to solvents. A statistical model was used to estimate quantitative exposure measures.

Results

Workers employed as painters at three months before pregnancy had an increased risk (odds ratio 6.2, 95% CI 1.4 to 27.9) of congenital malformations in offspring compared to carpenters. There was a positive exposure‐response trend with increasing exposure to organic solvents based on quantitative model predicted exposure estimates using toluene as a marker. There was some indication of an increased risk of functional developmental disorders in offspring among painters with intermediate and high model predicted exposure. The risk of low birth weight children seemed to be slightly increased among painters as well. Results for other reproductive outcomes (time to pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, and preterm birth) did not show increased risks.

Conclusion

This study showed a positive association between paternal occupational exposure to organic solvents and congenital malformations in offspring. However, the small numbers of cases, especially when examining different exposure levels, as well as the self‐reported nature of exposure and outcome variables, may hamper interpretation of the results.     

Risk of breast cancer among enlisted Army women occupationally exposed to volatile organic compounds

BACKGROUND: The military presents a unique opportunity to study the incidence of disease in a population with complete knowledge of person-time and occupation. Women in the Army are employed more frequently in non-traditional, industrial jobs such as auto mechanic and motor transport operators than in the general US population, increasing the probability of exposure to industrial chemicals. A cohort to investigate the risk of breast cancer among active duty Army women occupationally exposed to volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) was constructed. METHODS: Age-adjusted incidence rates for breast cancer were calculated for more than 270,000 enlisted women who served between 1980-1996. Twenty-one VOCs, described in previously published literature as having a potential risk of breast cancer, were identified in an Army industrial hygiene survey database. Job title histories were linked to workplace chemical evaluations conducted by Army industrial hygienists, which included a subjective exposure potential rating (high, medium, low, and none) for each VOC. Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between the exposure rating by job title and breast cancer. RESULTS: The incidence of breast cancer in the cohort was significantly elevated in women younger than 35 years of age, especially among black women, when compared to the age-specific rates in the general population. Women who worked in occupations with a moderate to high exposure potential to at least one VOC had a 48% increased risk (P < 0.05) of breast cancer while on active duty between 1980-1996 when compared to those women with low to no exposure potential. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence that exposure to one or more of the study VOCs is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Further substance-specific, quantitative analyses are warranted.     

二硫化碳对作业女工受孕时间的影响

为了解二硫化碳（ＣＳ２）对作业女工生殖功能的影响，采用流行病学回顾性研究方法，对２３５名近５年生育过１胎活婴的女工进行了受孕时间的研究。接触组女工孕前ＣＳ２作业工龄１年以上。结果表明：接触组女工在希望妊娠的第１个月经周期里受孕率为１８．９％（２４／１２７），低于对照组女工的受孕率（２４．１％，２６／１０８），在希望妊娠的前３个月经周期里的累积受孕率接触组为４５．７％，明显低于对照组（６１．１％）（χ２＝５．５８４，Ｐ＜０．０５）；接触组有１１．８％的女工在１年内不能获得１次成功妊娠，而对照组仅为３．７％（χ２＝５．１６２，Ｐ＜０．０５）。提示：女工接触ＣＳ２可使受孕时间明显延迟而影响其生育力。     

新婚育龄夫妇达到妊娠时间影响因素分析

目的了解新婚育龄夫妇的达到妊娠时间(time to pregnancy,TTP),并探讨影响夫妇TTP的因素。方法调查广东省2007年初婚的13 189对夫妇在婚后2年期间的孕育情况,运用描述性统计和Logistic回归分析方法进行分析。结果所有夫妇的中位妊娠等待时间为5.67个月;女方年龄每增大1岁,TTP增加为原来的1.008倍;月经初潮年龄每迟来1年,TTP增加为原来的1.022倍;月经周期不规则夫妇的TTP是月经周期规则夫妇的1.280倍;月经量多或少夫妇的TTP是月经量中等夫妇的1.088倍;女方文化程度高中及以上夫妇的TTP是小学及以下夫妇的1.140倍;女方是农民工或工人的夫妇TTP是女方为农民的1.110倍;男方吸烟夫妇的TTP是不吸烟夫妇的1.182倍。结论相对其他因素,妇女的生物学因素(年龄、月经)是育龄夫妇TTP的主要影响因素。     

Cognitive effects of chronic exposure to lead and solvents

BACKGROUND: Occupational exposure to lead and solvents has declined steadily over the past 20 years, however, construction workers continue to be exposed to these neurotoxicants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cognitive effects of chronic occupational exposure to lead and solvents. METHOD: Based on K-XRF of tibial bone lead and occupational history of solvent exposure, subjects were classified into four exposure groups: lead (N = 40), solvent (N = 39), lead/solvent (N = 45), and control (N = 33). All subjects completed tests to assess concentration, motor skills, memory, and mood. RESULTS: Relative to controls, the lead, solvent, and lead/solvent groups performed significantly more poorly on a test of verbal memory, while the lead and lead/solvent groups were slower than the solvent and control groups on a task of processing speed. Bone lead was a significant predictor of information processing speed and latency of response while solvent exposure was a significant predictor of verbal learning and memory. CONCLUSIONS: Bone lead was associated with slower speed of processing while exposure to lead and/or solvents reduced efficiency of verbal learning.     

Reaction time of industrial workers exposed to organic solvents: Relationship to degree of exposure and psychological performance

Auditory reaction time (RT) was examined on a day free from work and on a working day in 54 workers exposed to organic solvents and in 28 unexposed workers. Medical and occupational history was recorded and neurological examination and psychological testing carried out to establish quantitative parameters of exposure and cerebral function. There was a wider 95% range of the RT in the exposed group compared to the control group on the working day and a tendency in the same direction on the day free from work. There was no difference in the means of the RT, or within the groups between the examinations on the two days. The increased RT 95% range is interpreted as indicating an impaired ability in the exposed workers to maintain their attention during the experimental period, owing to chronic exposure of organic solvents. RT measurements did not correlate with exposure or psychological performance. RT would seem to be a means of measuring subclinical effects of exposure to organic solvents.     

Epidemiological survey of workers exposed to inorganic germanium compounds

OBJECTIVES—To assess occupational exposure to inorganic germanium (Ge) in workers from a producing plant, and to assess the health of these workers, with a special focus on respiratory, kidney, and liver functions.
METHODS—Cross sectional study of 75 workers exposed to Ge and 79 matched referents. Exposure was characterised by measuring air and urine concentrations of the element during a typical working week, and health was assessed by a questionnaire, clinical examination, lung function testing, chest radiography, and clinical chemistry in serum and urine, including high and low molecular weight urinary proteins.
RESULTS—Airborne concentrations of Ge (inhalable fraction) ranged from 0.03 to 300 µg/m, which was reflected by increased urinary excretion of Ge (0.12-200 µg/g creatinine, after the shift at the end of the working week). Lung, liver, and haematological variables were not significantly different between referents and workers exposed to Ge. A slightly higher urinary concentration of high molecular weight proteins (albumin and transferrin) was found in workers exposed to Ge, possibly reflecting subclinical glomerular changes. No relation was found between the intensity or duration of exposure and the urinary concentration of albumin. No difference between referents and workers exposed to Ge was found for other renal variables.
CONCLUSIONS—Measurement of urinary Ge can detect occupational exposure to inorganic Ge and its compounds. It is prudent to recommend the monitoring of renal variables in workers exposed to Ge.


Keywords: inorganic germanium; occupational exposure; biological monitoring     

Impaired reproductive development in sons of women occupationally exposed to pesticides during pregnancy

Objectives

The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether occupational pesticide exposure during pregnancy causes adverse effects on the reproductive development in the male infants.

Design and measurements

Pregnant women employed in greenhouses in Denmark were consecutively recruited, and 113 mother–son pairs were included. The mothers were categorized as occupationally exposed (91 sons) or unexposed (22 sons) to pesticides during pregnancy. Testicular position and volume, penile length, and position of urethral opening were determined at 3 months of age using standardized techniques. Concentrations of reproductive hormones in serum from the boys were analyzed.

Results

The prevalence of cryptorchidism at 3 months of age was 6.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.0–12.4]. This prevalence was considerably higher than among Danish boys born in the Copenhagen area (1.9%; 95% CI, 1.2–3.0) examined by the same procedure. Boys of pesticide-exposed mothers showed decreased penile length, testicular volume, serum concentrations of testosterone, and inhibin B. Serum concentrations of sex hormone-binding globulin, follicle-stimulating hormone, and the luteinizing hormone:testosterone ratio were increased compared with boys of nonexposed mothers. For individual parameters, only the decreased penile length was statistically significant (p = 0.04). However, all observed effects were in the anticipated direction, and a joint multivariate test showed that this finding had a p-value of 0.012.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest an adverse effect of maternal occupational pesticide exposure on reproductive development in the sons despite current greenhouse safeguards and special measures to protect pregnant women.     

Meta-analysis of systemic sclerosis and exposure to solvents

BACKGROUND: Although systemic sclerosis is a rare disease, incidence rates have increased recently in the United States. This study investigated the association between systemic sclerosis and exposure to solvents. METHODS: A Medline search of articles published between 1966 and 2000 dealing with solvent exposure and systemic sclerosis identified eight studies that met inclusion criteria of the meta-analysis. The studies included seven case-control studies and one cohort study published between 1989 and 1998. A series of meta-analyses of studies on systemic sclerosis and solvent exposure were performed for all studies and for case-control studies. A random effect model was used to calculate a combined estimator of relative risk. RESULTS: The combined estimator of relative risk for all studies was 2.91, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.60 to 5.30. The combined estimator of relative risk for the seven case-control studies was 3.14 (95% CI, 1.56-6.33). CONCLUSIONS: A statistically significant increased relative risk for all studies and for case-control studies suggests that exposure to organic solvent may be a risk factor for developing systemic sclerosis. Further studies using other study designs and better control of confounders are needed.     

Fertility and exposure to solvents among families in the Agricultural Health Study

Background

Several studies have reported associations between solvent exposure and reduced female fertility, but the evidence is inconclusive for male fertility.

Objectives

To investigate the impact of solvent exposure on subfertility among families of male licensed pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study cohort.

Methods

The couples enrolled between 1993 and 1997. Cross‐sectional questionnaire information on work tasks was used to assess exposure to solvents. The data were limited to couples (wife aged less than 40 years) with an attempt at pregnancy in the last four years (n = 2112).

Results

Twenty eight per cent of the couples were defined as subfertile (not conceiving a pregnancy after at least 12 months of unprotected intercourse, regardless of whether or not a pregnancy ultimately occurred). Adjusted subfertility odds ratios (OR) for exposure to solvents were calculated with logistic regression. Female (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.75) and male exposure to solvents (OR 1.21 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.57) for monthly exposure and 1.40 (95% CI 0.97 to 2.03) for daily or weekly exposure) were associated with subfertility. In farming, spouses may share or exchange jobs. To account for potential dual exposure, variables for parental exposure (either parent exposed or both parents exposed) were also defined. Both were strongly associated with subfertility (OR 1.62 (95% CI 1.20 to 2.17) and OR 2.10 (95% CI 1.22 to 3.60), respectively).

Conclusions

Solvents may impair fertility of either gender, though the evidence for female effects is stronger than for male effects.     

Breast cancer among Danish women occupationally exposed to diesel exhaust and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 1964–2016

Objective:The aim of this study was to explore the association between occupational exposure to diesel exhaust and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), respectively, and breast cancer subtypes.Methods:The study included 38 375 women <70 years with incident breast cancer, identified in the Danish Cancer Registry, and 5 breast cancer-free controls per case who were randomly selected from the Danish Civil Registration System and matched on year of birth. Full employment history was obtained for all study subjects from a nationwide pension fund, and exposure to diesel exhaust and PAH was assessed using a job exposure matrix. Conditional logistic regression was used for estimation of odds ratios (OR) with adjustment for reproductive factors and socioeconomic status.Results:No noteworthy associations were observed for overall breast cancer in women exposed to diesel exhaust. However, diesel exhaust modestly elevated the risk of estrogen receptor negative breast tumors before age 50 [OR 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–1.46]. Duration– and dose–response relationships were further observed for this subtype in this age group. No notable risk patterns were generally observed for PAH exposure.Conclusion:Occupational exposure to diesel exhaust may increase the risk of early-onset estrogen receptor negative breast tumors in women. Future studies exploring this association are warranted.     

Indirect fertility analysis in painters exposed to ethylene glycol ethers: sensitivity and specificity

Semen analysis has proven useful in the clinical diagnosis of infertility and is the most widely used method of monitoring the effects of occupational exposure on male fertility. Collection and analysis of semen samples in a field setting, however, require a highly motivated population and excellent technical resources, limiting the widespread application of the method. Techniques of monitoring male worker fertility using questionnaires to avoid some of the difficulties of semen analysis have been developed. These methods compare the rate of observed births for wives of workers with expected birth rates derived either from U.S. fertility tables or from unexposed workers. The present study compares the sensitivity of this questionnaire method with that of semen analysis in an evaluation of reproductive function in men exposed to ethylene glycol ethers. The reproductive function of 74 married painters exposed to ethylene glycol ethers was compared with that of 51 married controls employed at a shipyard. The groups differed in sperm count, but the questionnaire method showed no effect of exposure on fertility. This analysis suggests that the questionnaire assessment of fertility is less sensitive than semen analysis as a screening tool for male reproductive function.