Dust Exposures in Swedish Soft Tissue Paper Mills.

Objectives: Paper dust has previously been linked to adverse health effects. However, a comprehensive dataset of paper dust exposures does not appear to have been published previously. Our study was intended to address this need by describing a large dataset of measurements made in Swedish soft tissue paper mills.

A semi-quantitative job exposure matrix for dust exposures in Swedish soft tissue paper mills.

Background: Total paper dust exposure has been associated with respiratory problems among workers in the soft tissue paper industry. However, a comprehensive job exposure matrix (JEM) has not been developed for application to this industry. Our study was intended to address this need and to support further studies of mortality and morbidity in a cohort of Swedish workers from this industry.

Lung function and paper dust exposure among workers in a soft tissue paper mill.

Purpose: To study respiratory effects of exposure to soft paper dust exposure, a relationship that is rarely studied.

Methods: Soft tissue paper mill workers at a Swedish paper mill were investigated using a questionnaire and lung function and atopy screening. Spirometry without bronchodilation was performed with a dry wedge spirometer, and forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV) were obtained and expressed as percent predicted.

Impact of occupational exposures on exacerbation of asthma: a population-based asthma cohort study.

Background: Asthma is a prevalent chronic disease and occupation contributes to approximately 15 % of cases among adults. However, there are still few studies on risk factors for work-exacerbated asthma. The current study investigated the association between asthma exacerbations and occupational exposures.

Respiratory symptoms and respiratory-related absence from work among health care workers in Sweden.

Objective: To investigate respiratory symptoms and respiratory-related absence from work among Swedish health care workers (HCWs).

Methods: From a postal questionnaire study among a general Swedish working population (n = 12,186), we identified 2156 HCW (555 assistant nurses, 377 nurses, 109 physicians, and 1115 others), including 429 with mainly cleaning tasks (HCW-cleaning). The remaining respondents were classified as non-HCW.