Respiratory health of workers exposed to polyacrylate dust.

Background: Polyacrylate (PA) powder dust formed in PA manufacturing units is fine sized, i.e., in nanosize.

Effect of kerosene and biomass fuel as cooking medium on pulmonary function of adult nontobacco addict homemaker women residing in slums of Ahmedabad City, Gujarat.

Background: Combustion of kerosene and biomass fuel in the kitchen as cooking medium is one of the major sources of indoor air pollution. Such contaminated indoor air quality adversely affects the respiratory health of exposed individuals over a period of time. Homemaker women especially residing in slum areas are always vulnerable to indoor air-pollution-related health hazards.

Evaluation of Training Program "Basic Concepts of Occupational Health" for Students of Diploma in Sanitary Inspector Course and Way Forward.

Background: India requires massive numbers of occupational health experts for identifying and catering to the occupational health needs of more than 400-million workforce; however, in the absence of sufficient number of experts, it is important to sensitize and educate different groups of students and workforces regarding various aspects of occupational health. In the same context, a training program for the students of Diploma in Sanitary Inspector was arranged at the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH).

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of the training program in terms of gain in knowledge and imparting training programs more effectively in future.

Arsenic-induced oxidative stress, cholinesterase activity in the brain of Swiss albino mice, and its amelioration by antioxidants Vitamin E and Coenzyme Q10.

Arsenic toxicity becomes one of the major public health issues in several countries. Chronic and acute exposure to arsenic has been reported to be toxic to various systems of the human body and also observed in controlled experimental studies. The study was conducted to evaluate the neurotoxic effect of arsenic in Swiss albino mice and its amelioration by Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10 and their combination.

Occupational injury proneness in young workers: a survey in stone quarries.

Objectives: Workplace injuries are of concern in adolescent and child workers. The factors of such injuries are important for injury prevention. This study explored the predictors of injury in such workers.

Poisoning of workers working in small lead-based units.

Background: No data are available with the labor departments among the workers of small-scale lead-based units with regard to lead poisoning. One hundred and ninety-five workers were investigated for lead exposure and three were found exceeding the limit of 80 mg/dL, which required a treatment for lead poisoning.

Aim: To assess the exposure and health risk in workers working in small lead-based units.

Cost-benefit analysis of installing dust control devices in the agate industry, Khambhat (Gujarat).

It is well known that an exposure to crystalline silica gives rise to silicosis and silico-tuberculosis (TB). In the agate industry of Khambhat (Gujarat) not only workers but also people staying in the vicinity of the agate-grinding facilities are exposed to crystalline silica. To reduce their dust exposure, dust control devices were developed.

Effects of industrial pollution on respiratory morbidity among female residents of India.

The authors evaluated the respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function test results (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1], and ratio of FEV1 to FVC [FEV1%]) of female residents of the critically polluted industrial estate of Vapi, Gujarat (state), India, and compared these with control information derived from a village 20 km away. The authors categorized the studied residents as living in Vapi, in town, or in villages proximal to the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation; living 2 to 3 km away from Vapi; living 3 to 5 km away from Vapi; and being in the control group. The authors found no significant association between respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function among Vapi residents.

Residues of dioxin in egg samples collected from west zone of India.

The residues of the congeners of dioxin and furan have been identified in the egg samples collected from the western zone of the India. The samples were collected from the chicken grown in sites where Municipal Corporation incinerates the municipal and hazardous wastes. All the samples showed the presence of the residues of PCDDs/Fs.

Repeated episodes of endosulfan poisoning.

Introduction: A number of families in a rural area of Jabalpur District (Madhya Pradesh), India, were affected by repeated episodes of convulsive illness over a period of three weeks. The aim of this investigation was to determine the cause of the illness.

Methods: The investigation included a house-to-house survey, interviews of affected families, discussions with treating physicians, and examination of hospital records.

Erosion of nails following thallium poisoning: a case report.

This case report describes a patient with thallium poisoning caused by repeated exposure to low doses of thallium. Alopecia and nail changes were the most prominent features of this case. There was dystrophy of nails in the form of whitish lunular stripes.

Cardiac toxicity following short-term exposure to methomyl in spraymen and rabbits.

A health surveillance study in 22 healthy spraymen showed significant T-wave changes (including inversion) in most of the limb leads and chest leads following 5 d exposure to methomyl, a carbamate pesticide. Significant changes in plasma cholinesterase and lactic dehydrogenase activities were also noticed. The ECG changes could be reproduced in rabbits and were dose dependent.

Non-occupational pneumoconiosis at high altitude villages in central Ladakh.

An epidemiological survey was carried out to investigate the occurrence of non-occupational pneumoconiosis in Ladakh, where there are no mines or industries. The clinicoradiological investigations of 449 randomly selected subjects from three villages showed typical cases of pneumoconiosis associated with progressive massive fibrosis and egg shell calcification of hilar glands. The prevalence of pneumoconiosis in these three villages was 2.