Sick leave due to back pain in a cohort of young workers.

Purpose: Evidence on risk factors for sick leave from prospective studies in work settings is limited. Furthermore, most available studies focused on workers with substantial low back disorders. These studies consistently report that physical work factors constitute a hindrance to work.

Physical characteristics of the back are not predictive of low back pain in healthy workers: a prospective study.

Background: In the working population, back disorders are an important reason for sick leave and permanent work inability. In the context of fitting the job to the worker, one of the primary tasks of the occupational health physician is to evaluate the balance between work-related and individual variables. Since this evaluation of work capacity often consists of a physical examination of the back, the objective of this study was to investigate whether a physical examination of the low back, which is routinely performed in occupational medicine, predicts the development of low back pain (LBP).

Validation of a self-administered questionnaire for assessing exposure to back pain mechanical risk factors.

Objective: To validate a self-administered questionnaire assessing exposure to mechanical risk factors, developed for a cohort study aiming at assessing the influence of physical and psycho-social factors on the incidence of low back pain (LBP).

Methods: The study first involved a criterion validity test. A sample of the cohort workers (n=152) was observed at the workplace during four 30 min periods randomly distributed along the shift.

The role of physical workload and pain related fear in the development of low back pain in young workers: evidence from the BelCoBack Study; results after one year of follow up.

Aims: To study the influence of work related physical and psychosocial factors and individual characteristics on the occurrence of low back pain among young and pain free workers.

Methods: The Belgian Cohort Back Study was designed as a prospective cohort study. The study population of this paper consisted of 716 young healthcare or distribution workers without low back pain lasting seven or more consecutive days during the year before inclusion.

Exposure and inhalation risk assessment in an aluminium cast-house.

To date the exposure, absorption and respiratory health effects of cast-house workers have not been described since most studies performed in the aluminium industry are focused on exposure and health effects of potroom personnel. In the present study, we assessed the external exposure and the absorbed dose of metals in personnel from the aluminium cast house. This was combined with an evaluation of respiratory complaints and the lung function of the personnel.

Risk factors for first-ever low back pain among workers in their first employment.

Background: Low back pain has been estimated to be the most costly ailment of people of working age. Both work characteristics and individual factors have been identified as risk factors. The first interaction between work characteristics and individual factors occurs when workers start in their first job.

Prevention pathways: application of the critical path methodology in occupational health services.

Occupational health services face important changes as a result of changes in work environment, changing health and safety concepts, and legislation. To ensure good quality at a good price, it is important to control the processes in occupational health services. The concept of "prevention pathways" is presented for the management of occupational health services.

Neurobehavioural changes and persistence of complaints in workers exposed to styrene in a polyester boat building plant: influence of exposure characteristics and microsomal epoxide hydrolase phenotype.

Objectives: To investigate neurobehavioural effects and the persistence of complaints in workers exposed to styrene relative to exposure characteristics and the enzyme microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) activity.

Methods: A cross sectional study was performed in a retrospective cohort of workers of a polyester boat building plant 3 years after the main activity shut down in 1989. Workers still currently exposed to a much lower concentration of styrene in air than before (n=27) and formerly exposed workers (n=90) were compared with matched control workers (n=64).

Neurobehavioural effects of occupational exposure to cadmium: a cross sectional epidemiological study.

Background: A patient with unexplained minor behavioural changes associated with an axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy had a history of chronic occupational exposure to cadmium (Cd). Although animal studies have shown that Cd is a potent neurotoxicant, little is known about its toxicity for the human central nervous system. The aim of this study was to investigate the toxic potential of chronic occupational exposure to Cd on neurobehavioural functions.

Cadmium: a possible etiological factor in peripheral polyneuropathy.

Uncovering the exact cause of polyneuropathies seems to be impossible in up to 24% of the cases. Experimental studies have shown that cadmium (Cd), which is a well-known occupational and environmental hazard, can be a potent neurotoxicant for the peripheral nervous system. Moreover, Cd has a half-life of more than 15 years in humans.

Experience with a vocabulary test for workers previously and still exposed to styrene.

Objectives: This study examined the possible influence of styrene exposure on the results of vocabulary tests because verbal ability is assumed to be relatively resistant to the toxic effects of organic solvents and short vocabulary tests are used as "hold tests" in many neurobehavioral epidemiologic studies,

Methods: To evaluate the chronic neurotoxic effects of styrene, a vocabulary test was administered to a group of still-exposed workers (N=27) and an earlier exposed group of workers (N=90). A self-administered questionnaire was filled out on life events, general health, educational level, and amount of education. The still-exposed group had a mean exposure duration of 4700 hours, and that for the formerly exposed group was 3610 hours.

Nocturnal oxygen desaturation, as assessed by home oximetry, in long-term solvent-exposed workers.

Recent studies have suggested that occupational exposure to solvents may be a cause of sleep apnea. Digital oximetry during one night was performed in solvent-exposed offset printers (n = 21) and in a control group (n = 21), using a Palco 400 Pulse Oximeter. The threshold for recording was set at an arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) of 90%.

Exposure to ethylene glycol ethers and spermatogenic disorders in man: a case-control study.

A case-control study was conducted among first time patients at a clinic for reproductive disorders. The study group consisted of 1019 cases, defined as patients diagnosed infertile or subfertile on the basis of a spermiogram and 475 controls who were diagnosed as normally fertile by the same procedure. Possible exposure to ethylene glycol ethers was assessed by the presence of the urinary metabolites methoxyacetic acid (MAA) and ethoxyacetic acid (EAA) respectively for 2-methoxyethanol and 2-ethoxyethanol or their acetates.

An improved method for the determination in urine of alkoxyacetic acids.

A sensitive and specific method for the determination in urine of alkoxyacetic acids, the metabolites of ethylene glycol monoalkyl ethers, was developed by combining the advantages of two previously described methods. The acids were determined gas chromatographically as their pentafluorobenzylesters. The alkylation with pentafluorobenzylbromide was performed after dissolving the dry residue of lyophilized urine in methanol.

Experimental human exposure to ethylene glycol monomethyl ether.

The uptake of EGME and the urinary excretion of its major metabolite (MAA) was studied in seven male volunteers during experimental exposure to EGME at rest. The exposure concentration was set at 16 mg/m3, the present Threshold Limit Value. A high retention (0.

Comparative urinary excretion of ethoxyacetic acid in man and rat after single low doses of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether.

Male rats were given a single oral dose of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGEE), the dose ranging from plausible human exposures (0.5-1 mg/kg) to doses reported in the literature (100 mg/kg). Urinary excretion of ethoxyacetic acid (EAA) and its glycine conjugate was followed up to 60 h after dosing and compared to data of experimentally exposed human volunteers.

Survey of ethylene glycol ether exposures in Belgian industries and workshops.

From 1983 onward, 2654 air samples from 336 different plants from the northern part of Belgium were analyzed for the presence of ethylene glycol ethers. One or more ethylene glycol ethers were detected in 262 air samples (9.9%) covering 78 plants or small establishments (23.

Ethoxyacetic acid: a metabolite of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate in man.

Urinary excretion of ethoxyacetic acid during and after exposure to ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate (EGEE-Ac) was followed up in ten healthy male volunteers. During exposure to EGEE-Ac, ethoxyacetic acid levels appeared with a half life of 2.3 +/- 0.

Field study of the urinary excretion of ethoxyacetic acid during repeated daily exposure to the ethyl ether of ethylene glycol and the ethyl ether of ethylene glycol acetate.

The urinary excretion of ethoxyacetic acid (EAA) was studied in a group of five women daily exposed to the ethyl ether of ethylene glycol (EGEE) and the ethyl ether of ethylene glycol acetate (EGEE-Ac) during 5 d of normal production and 7 d after a 12-d production stop. The mean combined exposure concentration of EGEE and EGEE-Ac (expressed in equivalent weight of EGEE) was 14.0 mg/m3 with occasional slight excursions above the current Belgian occupational exposure limit.

Pulmonary absorption and elimination of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate in man.

Ten male volunteers were exposed to ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate (EGEE-Ac) under various conditions of exposure and physical workload. As exposure proceeded, retention, atmospheric clearance, and uptake rate declined slowly to reach steady state levels after three to four hours. Retention increased as a consequence of higher exposure concentrations and of physical workload performed during exposure.

Experimental human exposure to carbon disulfide. II. Urinary excretion of 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) during and after exposure.

Six human volunteers were exposed to 10 and 20 ppm carbon disulfide at rest and to 3 and 10 ppm carbon disulfide under a 50 W level of physical exercise during four consecutive periods of 50 min. At the start of the experiments, at the end of the exposure periods and during the post-exposure period, urine was sampled and the concentration of 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) was determined. It was established that only a small percentage, ranging from 0.

Experimental human exposure to carbon disulfide. I. Respiratory uptake and elimination of carbon disulfide under rest and physical exercise.

Six human volunteers were exposed to 10 and 20 ppm carbon disulfide at rest and to 3 and 10 ppm carbon disulfide under a 50 W level of physical exercise during four consecutive periods of 50 min. Every 5 min a sample was taken from the mixed exhaled air in which the concentration of carbon disulfide was determined. It was established that only an apparent steady state was reached during this exposure period.

Urinary excretion of ethoxyacetic acid after experimental human exposure to ethylene glycol monoethyl ether.

Ten healthy male subjects were exposed to ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGEE) under various conditions of exposure concentration and physical workload and their urinary excretion of ethoxyacetic acid was followed up for 42 hours. Maximal excretion of ethoxyacetic acid was reached three to four hours after the end of the four hour exposure period. Afterwards, ethoxyacetic acid excretion declined slowly with a biological half life of 21-24 hours.

Respiratory uptake and elimination of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether after experimental human exposure.

Ten male volunteers were exposed to ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGEE) under various conditions of exposure concentration and physical workload. Steady state levels of retention, atmospheric clearance, and rate of uptake were reached immediately after the start of the exposure period for all experimental conditions. Retention was high (64% in resting condition) and increased as physical exercise was performed during exposure.