Small airways function in workers processing polyvinylchloride

Summary In a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) processing plant, 20 workers employed as machine attendants and calender operators, and thus exposed to PVC thermal degradation products (PTDP) and phthalic acid esters (PAE; up to 2 mg/m³), were studied. The control group was 19 unexposed workers. The exposed subjects had more symptoms from eyes and upper air-ways than the controls, probably mainly associated with PTDP. Two (10%) exposed workers had mild work-related asthma vs no control; five (25%) vs one (5%) symptoms of unspecific bronchial hyperreactivity. One exposed subject had a significantly raised level of IgG against phthalic anhydride, indicating that sensitization can occur in PVC processing. No significant differences were found between exposed and control subjects with regard to spirometry (VC, FEV₁, FEF₅₀, FEF₇₅) or volume of trapped gas (VTG, an indicator of small airways disease) before or after metacholine inhalation. Thus, we could not find effects of PTDP or PAE on the small airways.