Correlation between benzene and testosterone in workers exposed to urban pollution.

Aim: Many studies have examined the effects of benzene on testosterone. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible correlation between the blood levels of benzene and the levels of testosterone.

Materials And Methods: The study involved a group of 148 subjects.

Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions in workers exposed to urban stressors.

The study aimed to compare the distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) with the pure-tone audiometry and to analyze the changes in participants exposed to noise. The results show a prevalence of participants with impaired DPOAEs higher than the prevalence of participants with impaired audiometries in the total sample, in men, and in outdoor workers and a prevalence of impaired DPOAEs and of impaired audiometries in men higher than in women and in outdoor workers higher than in indoor workers. The comparison of mean values between outdoor and indoor workers shows a significant difference only on some frequencies, in the DP-gram.

Work related stress and blood glucose levels.

Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate work-related subjective stress in a group of workers on a major Italian company in the field of healthcare through the administration of a valid "questionnaire-tool indicator" (HSE Indicator Tool), and to analyze any correlation between stress levels taken from questionnaire scores and blood glucose values.

Material And Methods: We studied a final sample consisting of 241 subjects with different tasks. The HSE questionnaire - made up of 35 items (divided into 7 organizational dimensions) with 5 possible answers - has been distributed to all the subjects in occasion of the health surveillance examinations provided by law.

[Evaluation of liver function between indoor and outdoor workers: preliminary results].

Introduction: The aim of our study is to compare liver damage in "outdoor" environment technicians, a category occupationally exposed, and in "indoor" workers.

Materials And Methods: We studied 142 male technicians of the environment exposed to urban pollution and 142 male "indoor" workers not exposed. We compared mean and standard deviation of the following liver parameters: glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), gamma-glutamyl-traspeptidasi (γGT) and alkaline phosphatase (PHA), total bilirubin (TB) and direct (DB).

[Arterial pressure in workers exposed to urban stressors].

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether occupational exposure to urban stressors could cause alterations of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in "outdoor" workers. The research was conducted on a sample of 101 municipal policemen. The sample was divided in 2 groups according to length of service: group A (length of service between 1 and 15 years) and group B (length of service > 15 years).

Early diagnosis of hearing loss: otoacoustic emissions evoked by distortion products and pure-tone audiometry: Preliminary findings.

Objective: Literary studies underline the effectiveness of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), which are not affected by the collaboration of the subject examined, in the early diagnosis of hearing loss. Aim of the study is to compare the objective technique of DPOAEs with respect to the pure-tone audiometry in early diagnosis of hearing loss.

Materials And Methods: The clinical research was carried out on 852 workers.

[Stress and work-related injuries].

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate in scientific literature the more frequent work injuries among the occupational categories examined (construction workers, healthcare workers, night workers and shift work, drivers) and to identify occupational stressors that increase the risk of injury.

Materials And Methods: The research was conducted through review of the scientific literature between 1990 and 2014. Two hundred articles were found of which 42 selected in the following categories: construction workers, healthcare workers, shift workers, lorry drivers.

[Prolonged exposure to urban pollutants and arterial blood pressure: a whole evaluation of our researches].

Aim: A significant relationship between exposure to cadmium and PAHs from urban air pollution and blood pressure has already been found. The aim of the study is to evaluate if other urban pollutants maintain a similar relationship in outdoor workers.

Materials And Methods: 349 subjects of both sexes were enrolled in the study; we evaluated values of environmental and biological monitoring of respirable dust, arsenic, lead, benzene, toluene, xylene and we measured blood pressure (BP) in upright and in supine position; to analyze data we used multiple linear regression.

Ballet and stress. A pilot study.

Background: Work-related stress is a complex problem requiring a work environment-based assessment. Artists like dancers represent a category of atypical workers potentially at high risk for work-related stress. Aim of our pilot study is to evaluate organizational stress in a population of professional dancers, using the HSE Indicator Tool for Work Related Stress.

Overweight and urban pollution: preliminary results.

The aim of this study is to determine whether in workers exposed to urban pollution the risk of developing overweight and obesity is higher in workers exposed to urban pollution compared to a control group. The study was conducted on 150 volunteers, 75 workers exposed to urban pollution (50 women and 25 men) and 75 indoor workers (50 women and 25 men). Once measured the weight and height and calculated body mass index (BMI) for each worker, the research was based on the comparison, between the two groups, of the mean values of the measurements and of the frequency of workers with BMI index higher than the cut-off of normality.

Can noise cause high blood pressure? Occupational risk in paper industry.

Objectives: The authors hypothesize cardiovascular effects in paper industry workers exposed to noise.

Materials And Methods: The study included 72 paper industry workers exposed to noise and two control groups not exposed to noise. The workers completed a questionnaire and underwent a medical examination, measurement of blood pressure, electrocardiogram, blood tests, audiometry and measurement of noise exposure.

Blood pressure changes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in outdoor workers.

Objectives: Everyday outdoor workers are exposed to chemicals including the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between hydroxypyrene and blood pressure in outdoor workers.

Materials And Methods: 374 subjects of both sexes entered the study.

Nickel and blood counts in workers exposed to urban stressors.

Nickel (Ni) and Ni compounds are widely present in the urban air. The purpose of this study is to estimate exposure of individuals to Ni and the correlation between this exposure and the values of blood counts in outdoor workers. This study focused on a sample of 101 outdoor workers (55 male and 46 female; 65 nonsmokers and 36 smokers), all employed in the municipal police in a large Italian city.

Workers of the printing industry and hepatic damage.

Background: Typesetting industry is still the primary instrument of communication, despite the development of new technological systems. This study focuses on the analysis of the hepatic effects induced by the use of some organic solvents employed in the printing industry.

Methods: We studied a group of 194 workers: 93 exposed and 101 not exposed.

Urinary hydroxypyrene and estradiol in an occupationally exposed "outdoor" population.

Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely present in the air pollution. The urinary hydroxypyrene (1-HOPu) is considered the main biological biomarker currently available to measure the exposure to PAH. It is supposed responsible of an increase of estradiol levels in males.

[Urban individual exposure to cadmium and baroreceptor response to posture].

Objective: Outdoor workers are daily exposed to urban pollutants. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between the values of environmental monitoring collected by personal dosimetries and changes in blood pressure due to posture in outdoor workers.

Materials And Methods: 32 subjects of both sexes were enrolled in the study, we evaluated the values of environmental monitoring of breathable dust, nickel, arsenic, cadmium, lead, benzene, toluene, xylene and 16 PAHs.

Correlation between urinary nickel and testosterone plasma values in workers occupationally exposed to urban stressors.

Background: The purpose of this study is to assess whether occupational exposure to low doses of nickel (Ni) present in urban air can cause alterations in the concentration of plasma testosterone in workers of the Municipal Police of a large Italian city assigned to different types of outdoor tasks.

Methods: 359 male subjects were included in the study and divided on the basis of job, age, length of service and smoking habits. The dosage of the atmospheric Ni was performed by personal dosimetries on a sample of the workers included in the study.

Workers exposed to urban stressors and the effects on antidiuretic hormone secretion.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether urban pollutants can affect plasma levels of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in outdoor workers.

Materials And Methods: We selected 208 subjects, 104 exposed to urban stressors and 104 non exposed to urban stressors. We divided these workers in 3 groups: Group 1 (non-smokers and non-drinkers), Group 2 (smokers and not drinkers) and Group 3 (drinkers and not smokers).

Thyroid hormones in male workers exposed to urban stressors.

Background: The occupational exposure to urban pollution may induce adverse effects on the human health.

Methods: Plasma levels of thyrotropin stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) of 50 outdoor workers and 50 indoor workers were compared.

Results: In the outdoor workers the TSH levels were significantly higher than in the control subjects (p =0.

Liver damage in automotive and industrial workers of the glass.

Objective: High doses of organic solvents can cause hepatic disease. We investigated whether exposure to low doses of solvents in automotive and industrial workers may lead to changes in liver tests.

Methods: We studied the liver parameters (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), gamma-glutamyl-traspeptidasi (γ-GT), alkaline phosphatase (PHA), total (TB) and direct bilirubin (DB) of 24 workers exposed to organic solvents and of 30 unexposed controls.

[Carpal tunnel syndrome and steel industry].

Objectives: The carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common working pathology. The CTS diagnosis is not so easy because neurophysiological investigations are necessary. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the working risks and the presence of CTS signs using a focused anamnestic and clinical procedure.

Cadmium and hypertension in exposed workers: A meta-analysis.

Objectives: In the general population, cadmium seems to be responsible for hypertension, atherosclerosis and an increase in acute coronary events. Therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to analyze controlled studies conducted on cadmium and arterial pressure in occupationally-exposed workers.

Materials And Methods: After analyzing all the relevant articles found in the literature, 6 publications were selected.

Noise-induced hearing loss in workers exposed to urban stressors.

The technological and industrial progress together with the intensification of vehicular traffic and the adoption of new social habits are the cause of an increasing noise pollution with possible negative effects on the auditory system. This study aims to assess the noise exposure levels and the effects on the hearing threshold in outdoor and indoor male workers of a big Italian city. The study was carried out on 357 outdoor male workers, exposed to urban noise and on a control group of 357 unexposed indoor workers.