Documents wood 13 results

"Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome (ODTS) is a flu-like syndrome that can occur after inhalation of cotton, grain, wood chip dusts, or other organic dusts or aerosols. We investigated whether inflammatory pulmonary responses occur, even after relatively brief, low-level wood chip mulch exposure. Six volunteers were exposed to wood chip mulch dust. Total dust and/or endotoxin levels were measured in five subjects. Pulmonary function and peripheral blood counts were measured before and after exposure in each subject. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in each subject after exposure, and cell, cytokine, and protein concentrations were measured. Control BAL without previous exposure was also performed on three of the subjects. Three of six subjects had symptoms consistent with ODTS. No clinically relevant or statistically significant changes in pulmonary function tests after exposure were found. Three subjects manifested a marked elevation in neutrophil percentage in their BAL (range, 10 to 57%). When these three subjects underwent control BAL, the postexposure comparison demonstrated an increase in neutrophil levels of 154 +/- 89 x 10(3)/mL (mean +/- standard error; P = 0.22). The mean increase in BAL interleukin-8 levels after exposure, compared with paired control values, was 11.2 +/- SE 2.5 pg/mL (P = 0.047). There was also an increase in BAL interleukin-6 levels that reached borderline significance (6.4 +/- SE 2.0 pg/mL; P = 0.08). Tumor necrosis factor levels were increased in all three subjects' BAL as well (0.4 +/- SE 0.2 pg/mL), but this change was not statistically significant (P = 0.2). Our findings of increased BAL proinflammatory cytokine and neutrophil levels are consistent with the theory that cytokine networking in the lung may mediate ODTS."

"Les professionnels du bois exercent dans de multiples secteurs d'activité : sylviculture, exploitation forestière, industrie de première transformation (scierie, fabrication de panneaux de bois...) et industrie de deuxième transformation (menuiserie, charpente, bâtiment, ameublement, fabrication d'objets en bois...). Les dermatites professionnelles observées chez ces professionnels du bois sont essentiellement des dermatites de contact d'irritation et/ou allergiques, les urticaires sont exceptionnelles. Les principaux irritants chimiques sont les bois, les fibres minérales synthétiques, le ciment, les détergents, les solvants, les produits de traitement des bois, les peintures, les vernis et les colles associés aux facteurs physiques d'irritation. Les principaux allergènes sont les constituants des végétaux (bois...), les produits de traitement des bois, les résines et additifs des peintures, vernis et colles (résines époxy...), les métaux. Le diagnostic étiologique repose sur les tests allergologiques avec les batteries spécialisées et les produitsprofessionnels.La prévention technique doit mettre en oeuvre toutes les mesures susceptibles de réduire l'exposition. La prévention médicale repose sur la réduction maximale du contact cutané avec les irritants et l'éviction complète du contact cutané avec les allergènes. Selon l'agent en cause, ces affections sont réparées au titre de plusieurs tableaux de maladies professionnelles."

The effect of exposure to man made vitreous fibers (MMVF) on workers in the prefabricated wooden house manufacturing industry was investigated. A model was developed to measure the past exposure to MMVF of 478 insulators among a staff of 2,807 workers at 11 factories in Sweden. The insulators who had a mean employment time of 9.6 years and never used respirators were identified as the workers at greatest risk of exposure to MMVF. One hundred and twenty samples were taken of airborne fiber in 11 facilities to determine current exposure levels. Using the model to estimate past exposure the highest mean fiber exposure level for insulators was calculated as 0.18 fiber/milliliter (f/ml), which occurred during the mid 1970s, compared to 0.10 f/ml at the end of the 1980s and the early 1960s. Changes in production rate, improved ventilation control, and the surface area of the total amount of MMVF sheets handled by the insulator were the most important variables in the model. No increased risk of lung cancer was found for the insulators who were presently working in the house prefabrication industry.

The considerable differences in risks of nasal cancer among woodworkers in North America and Europe are reviewed. Studies of American wood-dust-exposed groups do not reveal excesses of nasal cancer. High rates of nasal adenocarcinoma have instead occurred among European hardwood furniture workers. As implication for industrial hygiene standards the risk of cancer in exposed workers appears to be preventable if wood-dust exposures do not exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 5mg/m3.

The results of 12 case/control studies concerning the relationship between sinonasal cancer and occupation were reanalyzed. The pooled data encompassed 930 cases and 3,135 controls from 12 studies conducted in seven countries. Both systematic analysis and a-priori analysis were employed. Based on the systematic approach, 13 occupations were related to squamous cell carcinoma. Among men, the greatest risks were determined for artists, professionals, hairdressers, farmers, and stationary engineers, with odds ratios (ORs) of 4.50, 3.27, 17.2, 3.72, and 3.39, respectively. Among women, the greatest risks were determined for accountants, professionals, and managers, with ORs of 17.4, 5.79, and 3.57, respectively. Cancer excesses related to more than 10 years of employment, and thus indicative of an association between occupational exposures and cancer, were determined for orchard farmers, miners, rubber and plastic manufacturers, and stationary engineers. Based on the a-priori approach, 23 occupations were identified as high risk for squamous cell carcinoma. Among men, the greatest risks were observed for cooks, fiber workers, and food workers, with ORs of 2.72, 13.5, and 1.80, respectively. Although none of the predetermined occupations were associated with a significantly high risk of squamous cell carcinoma among women, the OR for women ever employed in agriculture was elevated at 1.69. Based on systematic analysis, four occupations were related to adenocarcinoma among men. The significantly elevated ORs included 8.69 for salespersons, 3.71 for farm workers, 3.69 for food processors, and 2.95 for transportation workers. Based on a-priori analysis, four occupations were related to adenocarcinoma. Only for male agricultural workers was a significant association with cancer determined, since the OR increased from 1.92 to 2.98 after 10 years of employment. The authors conclude that the pooled findings are more informative than the results of the individual studies.

Health risks associated with exposure to softwood dusts were reviewed. An excess of sinonasal cancer has been reported following exposures to hardwood dusts or a combination of hard and softwood dusts, and wood dust has been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The effects of exposure to softwood dusts alone have not been well studied. Case control studies have suggested an increased risk of sinonasal cancer among workers exposed to softwood dusts; however, these results were not definitive and conflicting data exist. The nonmalignant effects of wood dust exposure on the respiratory system including asthma, upper and lower respiratory symptoms, and airflow obstruction were described and discussed as were factors associated with concurrent related exposures, exposure levels, sampling methods, and particle size. An exposure limit of at least 2mg/m3 was suggested for prevention of the nonmalignant adverse health effects associated with exposure to softwood dusts.

Le premier colloque consacré à ce thème a permis de porter à la connaissance de l'ensemble des acteurs de la santé au travail, les résultats d'une vingtaine d'études parmi la centaine réalisée, depuis 10 ans, avec le soutien du ministère. Cet ouvrage reprend la synthèse des travaux de ce colloque qui marque le 50e anniversaire de la naissance de la médecine du travail.
Les thèmes présentés ici ont un lien avec la recherche médicale de pointe et touchent des disciplines telles que la cancérologie, la génétique, les recherches en biologie ; ils sont également liés avec la recherche en sociologie qui concerne l'évolution du monde du travail et de l'emploi, et la recherche en économie lorsque celle-ci touche les domaines d'organisation du travail et de gestion des productions industrielles.

"Objective: To study the relation between exposure and nasal function in woodwork teachers.

Methods: 39 selected woodwork teachers employed full time and 32 control subjects (other school personnel) were examined at the beginning and at the end of a working week with symptom rating, nose and throat inspection, rhinomanometry, nasal mucociliary clearance test, and a smell identification test. During one working day of the same week climate, dust and terpene concentrations were measured in all 39 schools.

Results: The ventilation rate was highest in rooms with mechanical ventilation. Range of total dust (personally sampled) was 0.12-1.18 mg/m3, respirable dust 0.02-0.21 mg/m3, and terpenes (area sampled) 0.02-6.8 mg/m3. In contrast to the control subjects, the woodwork teachers had more nasal symptoms on the Thursday afternoon than on the Monday morning, especially those working in rooms without mechanical ventilation. Their mucociliary clearance worsened during the week (mean increase 4 min, P < 0.001). A small impairment of olfactory function was also found, but their rhinomanometric values did not change significantly. Nasal symptoms correlated weakly with the percentage of respirable dust in the total dust. Otherwise there were no significant dose-effect relations between measured dust or terpene concentrations and nasal tests.

Conclusions: The woodwork teachers had mainly reversible nasal complaints, impaired nasal mucociliary clearance and olfactory function related to the work environment, with dust concentrations below the Swedish threshold limit value of 2 mg/m3."