An engineering intervention resulting in improvement in lung function and change in urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine among foundry workers in Taiwan.

Purpose: To assess changes in oxidative DNA damage and lung function amongst a group of foundry workers resulting from an engineering intervention to reduce air respirable dust in their working environment.

Methods: We studied all 22 workers recruited from a typical small Taiwanese iron foundry plant before and 3 months after improvements to air exhaust control. The effectiveness of the air exhaust intervention in reducing respirable dust and SiO₂ was determined by personal breathing-zone air sampling.