Prevalence of Ocular, Respiratory and Cutaneous Symptoms in Indoor Swimming Pool Workers and Exposure to Disinfection By-Products (DBPs)
| Autor: | Guglielmina Fantuzzi, Gabriella Aggazzotti, Elena Righi, Pierluigi Giacobazzi, Guerrino Predieri, Katia Mastroianni |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2010 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male medicine.medical_specialty Chromatography Gas trihalomethanes Eye Diseases occupational exposure swimming pools irritative symptoms respiratory symptoms ocular symptoms cutaneous symptoms Cross-sectional study Health Toxicology and Mutagenesis lcsh:Medicine respiratory ocular and cutaneous symptoms Skin Diseases Article Internal medicine Prevalence medicine Humans ocular and cutaneous symptoms Respiratory system Respiratory Tract Infections Nose Mycosis Asthma Respiratory tract infections business.industry lcsh:R Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health medicine.disease respiratory Rash Surgery Cross-Sectional Studies medicine.anatomical_structure Female Occupational exposure medicine.symptom business Disinfectants |
| Zdroj: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Volume 7; Issue 4; Pages: 1379-1391 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 7, Iss 4, Pp 1379-1391 (2010) International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
| ISSN: | 1660-4601 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/ijerph7041379 |
| Popis: | The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported respiratory, ocular and cutaneous symptoms in subjects working at indoor swimming pools and to assess the relationship between frequency of declared symptoms and occupational exposure to disinfection by-products (DBPs). Twenty indoor swimming pools in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy were included in the study. Information about the health status of 133 employees was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Subjects working at swimming pools claimed to frequently experience the following symptoms: cold (65.4%), sneezing (52.6%), red eyes (48.9%) and itchy eyes (44.4%). Only 7.5% claimed to suffer from asthma. Red eyes, runny nose, voice loss and cold symptoms were declared more frequently by pool attendants (lifeguards and trainers) when compared with employees working in other areas of the facility (office, cafe, etc.). Pool attendants experienced generally more verrucas, mycosis, eczema and rash than others workers; however, only the difference in the frequency of self-declared mycosis was statistically significant (p = 0.010). Exposure to DBPs was evaluated using both environmental and biological monitoring. Trihalomethanes (THMs), the main DBPs, were evaluated in alveolar air samples collected from subjects. Swimming pool workers experienced different THM exposure levels: lifeguards and trainers showed the highest mean values of THMs in alveolar air samples (28.5 +/- 20.2 microg/m(3)), while subjects working in cafe areas (17.6 +/- 12.1 microg/m(3)), offices (14.4 +/- 12.0 microg/m(3)) and engine rooms (13.6 +/- 4.4 microg/m(3)) showed lower exposure levels. Employees with THM alveolar air values higher than 21 microg/m(3) (median value) experienced higher risks for red eyes (OR 6.2; 95% CI 2.6-14.9), itchy eyes (OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.5-8.0), dyspnea/asthma (OR 5.1; 95% CI 1.0-27.2) and blocked nose (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.0-4.7) than subjects with less exposure. This study confirms that lifeguards and trainers are more at risk for respiratory and ocular irritative symptoms and cutaneous diseases than subjects with other occupations at swimming pool facilities. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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