Effect of occupational exposure to welding fumes and noise on heart rate variability: An exposed-unexposed study on welders and airport workers' population.

Introduction: Welding fumes (WF) are a complex mixture of gas and particles. Action of occupational exposure to WF on cardiovascular system has been recently studied as for noise.

Research Question: The main objectives of our study are therefore to evaluate the impact of exposure to WF, noise, and combined WF and noise on autonomic nervous system as assessed by heart rate variability (HRV).