Nickel and blood counts in workers exposed to urban stressors.

Nickel (Ni) and Ni compounds are widely present in the urban air. The purpose of this study is to estimate exposure of individuals to Ni and the correlation between this exposure and the values of blood counts in outdoor workers. This study focused on a sample of 101 outdoor workers (55 male and 46 female; 65 nonsmokers and 36 smokers), all employed in the municipal police in a large Italian city.

[Exposure to cadmium and plasma cortisol in workers exposed to urban stressor].

Objectives: The aim of this study is to estimate the exposure to Cd in a group of roadmen compared to a group of drivers by environmental monitoring and biological monitoring of blood and urinary Cd. It aims to evaluate whether exposure to Cd can affect plasma cortisol.

Materials And Methods: The initial sample was composed by 130 employees of Municipal Police Force (roadmen and drivers).

Assessment of liver function in two groups of outdoor workers exposed to arsenic.

Purpose: To evaluate whether the exposure to arsenic (As) causes alterations of liver enzymes in two groups of outdoor workers.

Methods: Total urinary As and the levels of AST/GOT, ALT/GPT, and GGT were measured on 80 traffic policemen and 50 police drivers. Personal air samples were obtained for assessing the exposure to As on a subgroup of 20 traffic policemen and 20 police drivers.

Cadmium and hypertension in exposed workers: A meta-analysis.

Objectives: In the general population, cadmium seems to be responsible for hypertension, atherosclerosis and an increase in acute coronary events. Therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to analyze controlled studies conducted on cadmium and arterial pressure in occupationally-exposed workers.

Materials And Methods: After analyzing all the relevant articles found in the literature, 6 publications were selected.

Correlation between total blood lead values and peripheral blood counts in workers occupationally exposed to urban stressors.

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between occupational exposure to airborne lead (Pb) and alterations in peripheral blood counts in workers of the Municipal Police assigned to different types of outdoor tasks. Then, 337 both male and female subjects were enrolled and divided on the basis of sex, cigarette smoking habit and kind of task. Exposure to airborne Pb, dosage of total blood Pb and peripheral blood count were carried out.

Relationship between occupational exposure to cadmium, transaminases and γ-GT in workers exposed to urban stressors.

Background: The exposure to Cd has been linked to many disease and liver is the major target organ of Cd toxicity following acute or chronic exposure.No study has ever evaluated the association between liver function tests and exposure to Cd present in urban air in outdoor workers.

Materials And Methods: In order to assess the relationship between the exposure to urban Cd and the associated changes in liver functionality markers, we conducted a study on 110 municipal policemen divided into 2 groups according to their tasks: 60 traffic policemen and 50 drivers, underwent tests for the determination of the urinary values of Cd correlated with the blood levels of transaminases and ?-GT.

Coal plant: risk, disease and prevention with on environmental impact.

Urban pollution is a current problem, constituting a serious health risk. Many pollutants are present in the urban atmosphere, they are mainly anthropogenic, resulting from the combustion of coal. Several studies have shown the harmful effects of these pollutants, particularly on the respiratory system.

Prevalence of systemic arterial hypertension, electrocardiogram abnormalities, and noise-induced hearing loss in agricultural workers.

ABSTRACT The literature suggests that farmers nowadays are more likely to contract cardiovascular diseases than in the past. This study involved 79 farmers and 64 controls. The workers completed a questionnaire to identify exclusion factors for audiological and cardiovascular risk factors.

Sensitive profiling of biogenic amines in human urine by capillary electrophoresis with field amplified sample injection.

In order to monitor biogenic amines in human urine, a method based on field-amplified sample injection combined with capillary electrophoresis and direct UV absorption detection was developed. Dopamine, tyramine, tryptamine, serotonin and epinephrine were effectively separated and identified in human urine samples, and detection limits were 0.072, 0.

Correlation between cadmium and blood counts in workers exposed to urban stressor.

The objective of this study was to assess the exposures to cadmium (Cd) in urban workers and the association between Cd exposure and values of blood counts. Urinary Cd, blood Cd, and blood counts were obtained from 355 outdoor workers; a subgroup of 99 subjects were monitored to evaluate personal exposure to airborne Cd. The mean value of personal exposure to Cd was 1.

[Meta analysis indices of genotoxic damage in urban pollution exposed workers].

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine if urban pollution can modify indices of genotoxic damage.

Methods: Research of articles inherent in the evaluation of these alterations. Differents categories of exposed workers are included in the study (cases, in number of 7287) and compaired with no exposed workers (controls, in number of 8054).

[Meta analysis blood and urinary values in urban pollution exposed workers].

Introduction: Aim of this study is evaluating alteration of neuro-immune-endocrine parameters in exposed workers and estimating whether urban pollution can modify them.

Methods: Literature research. Different categories of exposed workers were included in the study (7287) and compared with controls (8054).

Risk of upper extremity biomechanical overload in automotive facility.

Objective: To assess the risk factors for upper extremity-work-related musculoskeletal disorders (UE-WMSD) on 13 production lines in an airbag factory using the threshold limit values-American conference of industrial hygienists- hand activity level (TLV-ACGIH-HAL) method and introduce the ergonomic improvement to reduce the repetitiveness and the peak force (Pf).

Methods: Professional exposure level on 13 production lines in a automobile factory was measured using the TLV-ACGIH-HAL method and a further risk was assessed according to the ergonomic improvement.

Results: The first assessment of 9 production lines showed that the professional exposure level was above the TLV or HAL limit.

Exposure to cadmium in male urban and rural workers and effects on FSH, LH and testosterone.

Objective: This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the relationship between exposure to cadmium and circulating reproductive hormone levels in urban and rural male workers.

Materials And Methods: Urinary cadmium, blood cadmium, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone were obtained from 86 non-smoking traffic policemen and 86 subjects working as roadmen in a rural area. All subjects were monitored to evaluate airborne exposure to cadmium.

Perceived stress and stress-related parameters.

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate, using a questionnaire developed by our research group, whether occupational exposure to physical, chemical and psychosocial urban stressors can lead to alterations in perceived stress in a group of both male and female outdoor workers. The study also examines possible correlations between the levels of stress as inferred from the scores of the questionnaire and the levels of certain stress-related parameters (prolactin levels, consumption of coffee, chocolate, alcohol and cigarette smoking).

Methods: We evaluated a final sample of 480 subjects (342 male and 138 female).

Professional exposure to ionizing radiations in health workers and white blood cells.

Background: The aim of this study is to estimate if low dose of occupational exposure to ionizing radiations can cause alterations of plasma concentrations of total white blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes (eosinophils, basophils, neutrophils), in the health workers of a big hospital.

Methods: 266 non smokers subjects of both sexes (133 health workers and 133 controls) were included in this study, compared on the basis of sex, age and working seniority. The complete blood count (CBC) was performed in all included workers.

Environmental and biological monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels in outdoor workers exposed to urban stressor.

Background: Purpose of this study is to evaluate and to compare the excretion of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHPu) in traffic policemen (TP) and drivers (D) of a large Italian city and to evaluate the existence and the degree of correlation between airborne exposure to 15 different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 1-OHPu levels in the examined population.

Methods: 192 male workers, 115 TP and 77 D, were monitored for 1-HOPu. A subgroup of non-smoking workers (subgroup B: 59 TP and 15 D) was also examined and 15 environmental PAHs was monitored through the personal samplings for the measurement of the particulate phase.

Cadmium blood/urine levels and blood pressure in workers occupationally exposed to urban stressor.

Background: Cadmium (Cd) is a metal, which induces hypertension in animals. This may not be relevant to the human population because the number of studies is inconsistent.

Objective: Our aim is to identify an association between levels of blood/urinary cadmium and blood pressure in a group of employees of the municipal police assigned to outdoor activities.

Arsenic and peripheral blood count in workers exposed to urban stressors.

Objectives: Previous studies have shown that arsenic at high doses can alter the hematopoietic system. The purpose of the present study is to see whether the same problems may be caused by chronic exposure to low doses.

Materials And Methods: A sample of 349 policemen of a big urban city was divided into 3 groups according to levels of urinary arsenic.

Spinal and temporo-mandibular disorders in male workers of the State Police.

Objective: The aims of this study are to evaluate the prevalence of disorders of the lumbar region and the temporo-mandibular district co-morbidity in drivers and workers of the State Police employed for different office activities.

Materials And Methods: The study population included 103 drivers as cases and 100 police officers as controls. The study was carried out through questionnaire and clinical evaluation of the spine and temporo-mandibular region.

[Stress and information-communication technologies: from videoterminal to web].

The relationship between stress and new technologies has always been a vexed question. Sociologists and philosophers say technology is a double edged sword, on one hand it increases the potential of human senses, while on the other hand it forces man to adopt rhythms and conditions not natural but artificial, with consequences for his physical and mental health. Modern Cognitive Ergonomic tries to analyze to technology, interacting with mental functions, causes stress and it tries to offer the most appropriate technological solutions for human work.

Occupational exposure to traffic pollutants and peripheral blood counts.

Aim of the 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 peripheral blood counts in workers of the Municipal Police with outdoor tasks vs workers with indoor tasks. 279 non smoker males were enrolled and divided on the basis of their different kind of task. The dosage of air pollutants was carried out through the use of personal air samplers on a representative group of workers.

Urban pollution.

Air pollution represents a health risk for people living in urban environment. Urban air consists in a complex mixture of chemicals and carcinogens and its effects on health can be summarized in acute respiratory effects, neoplastic nonneoplastic (e.g.