Assessment of nicotine dermal contact and urinary cotinine of tobacco processing workers.

Objective: To assess the dermal contact of nicotine dust, subjective symptoms and urinary cotinine of post curing tobacco workers.

Material And Method: Dermal hand wipes of residual nicotine dust samples, morning urine samples and subjective symptoms were collected from 30 workers. The hand-wipe samples and urine samples were analyzed for nicotine and cotinine by a GC/MS, respectively.

Assessment of nicotine inhalation exposure and urinary cotinine of tobacco processing workers.

Objective: To study the composition of tobacco dust, atmospheric nicotine concentration, urinary cotinine excretion and the subjective symptoms of workers in dry tobacco leaf preparation.

Material And Method: The tobacco dust in air of the breathing zone of workers and the urine samples of these workers and a comparison group were collected and analyzed by GC/MS. The accuracy, precision and detection limit of the methods were determined.

Risk assessment towards tuberculosis among hospital personnel: administrative control, risk exposure, use of protective barriers and microbial air quality.

A recent increase in the rate of tuberculosis among hospital personnel has led to a greater concern about the risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in the hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the risk of tuberculosis infection among hospital personnel of a governmental hospital in Bangkok by applying hospital tuberculosis control strategies, including administrative control, risk exposure, use of protective barriers when in contact with TB patients, and microbial air quality in the studied wards. Fourteen members of the infection control committee (ICC) and 118 hospital personnel were interviewed regarding the infection control policy and its implementation.

Tentative explanatory variable of lung dust concentration in gold miners exposed to crystalline silica.

Introduction: The first objective of the study was to investigate the relationships between quantitative lung mineral dust burdens, dust exposure history, and pathological fibrosis grading in silicotic workers. The second objective was to evaluate the association between particle size parameters, concentration of retained silica particles and the severity of the silicosis. Sixty-seven paraffin-embedded lung tissue samples of silicotic patients were analyzed.

Angular and fibrous particles in lung in relation to silica-induced diseases.

Introduction: The lung concentration of angular and fibrous particles was measured in cases of lung fibrosis only, in cases of lung fibrosis and lung cancer, and in cases of lung cancer only. These patients worked in different trades (mining, foundries, construction and were not a homogeneous group of exposed workers.

Material And Methods: Particles, both angular and fibrous, were extracted from lung parenchyma by a bleach digestion method, mounted on copper microscopic grids by a carbon replica technique, and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).

Angular and fibrous particles in lung are markers of job categories.

Introduction: The lung concentration of angular and fibrous particles has been measured when cases are stratified into their job categories; 21 miners (metallic mines such as gold, zinc and copper), 18 iron foundrymen, 22 non-iron foundrymen, four welders, three sand-blast workers, four construction workers, three technicians and professionals, seven workers in other trades excluding welding. Twelve asbestos miners representing a positive exposure to asbestos and 20 people representing a background population were added to the previous groups.

Material And Methods: Particles, both angular and fibrous, were extracted from lung parenchyma by a bleach digestion method, mounted on copper microscopic grids by a carbon replica technique and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).

Retention of asbestos fibres in lungs of workers with asbestosis, asbestosis and lung cancer, and mesothelioma in Asbestos township.

Objective: To conduct a mineralogical study on the particles retained in the necropsied lungs of a homogenous group of asbestos miners and millers from Asbestos township (and a local reference population) and to consider the hypothesis that there is a difference in size between fibres retained in the lungs of patients with asbestosis with and without lung cancer.

Methods: Samples of lung tissue were obtained from 38 patients with asbestosis without lung cancer, 25 with asbestosis and lung cancer, and 12 with mesothelioma, from necropsied Quebec chrysotile miners and millers from Asbestos township. Fibre concentrations in the lungs of these patients were compared with those in tissue from necropsies carried out on a local reference population: men who had died of either accidental death or acute myocardial infarction between 1990 and 1992.

Inorganic particles in the lungs of five aluminum smelter workers with pleuro-pulmonary cancer.

This paper reports on the inorganic particles in the lungs of four workers who died from lung cancer and one who died from mesothelioma. All five workers were involved in different operations and activities in aluminum reduction plants. Retained fibrous and nonfibrous particles were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy after lung digestion.

Pulmonary retention of ceramic fibers in silicon carbide (SiC) workers.

The fibrous inorganic content of post-mortem lung material obtained from 15 men who worked in the primary silicon carbide (SiC) industry was evaluated. Five men had neither lung fibrosis nor lung cancer (NFNC), six had lung fibrosis (LF), and four had lung fibrosis and lung cancer (LFLC). The workers had 23 to 32 years of exposure.

Pulmonary dust retention in a silicon carbide worker.

This paper reports on pulmonary dust retention in a man who worked 42 years in the vicinity of an Acheson furnace of a silicon carbide plant and had a carborundum pneumoconiosis. Special attention is paid to the retained silicon carbide fibers in the lung parenchyma. The concentration of silicon carbide fibers longer than 5 microns is 39,300 fibers/mg dry lung.