Epidemiological survey of workers exposed to inorganic germanium compounds
| Autor: | B. Swennen, Harry Roels, Alfred Bernard, Alex Mallants, Dominique Lison, Jean-Pierre Buchet, Robert Lauwerys |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | UCL - MD/ESP - Ecole de santé publique |
| Rok vydání: | 2000 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Pathology medicine.medical_specialty Cross-sectional study Urinary system Physiology Air Pollutants Occupational Urine Occupational medicine chemistry.chemical_compound Belgium Occupational Exposure medicine Humans Subclinical infection Creatinine Kidney Germanium business.industry Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Albumin Middle Aged Respiratory Function Tests Occupational Diseases Cross-Sectional Studies medicine.anatomical_structure chemistry Papers Epidemiological Monitoring Radiography Thoracic business Environmental Monitoring |
| Zdroj: | Occupational and environmental medicine, Vol. 57, no. 4, p. 242-8 (2000) |
| ISSN: | 1351-0711 |
| DOI: | 10.1136/oem.57.4.242 |
| Popis: | OBJECTIVES—To assess occupational exposure to inorganic germanium (Ge) in workers from a producing plant, and to assess the health of these workers, with a special focus on respiratory, kidney, and liver functions. METHODS—Cross sectional study of 75 workers exposed to Ge and 79 matched referents. Exposure was characterised by measuring air and urine concentrations of the element during a typical working week, and health was assessed by a questionnaire, clinical examination, lung function testing, chest radiography, and clinical chemistry in serum and urine, including high and low molecular weight urinary proteins. RESULTS—Airborne concentrations of Ge (inhalable fraction) ranged from 0.03 to 300 µg/m, which was reflected by increased urinary excretion of Ge (0.12-200 µg/g creatinine, after the shift at the end of the working week). Lung, liver, and haematological variables were not significantly different between referents and workers exposed to Ge. A slightly higher urinary concentration of high molecular weight proteins (albumin and transferrin) was found in workers exposed to Ge, possibly reflecting subclinical glomerular changes. No relation was found between the intensity or duration of exposure and the urinary concentration of albumin. No difference between referents and workers exposed to Ge was found for other renal variables. CONCLUSIONS—Measurement of urinary Ge can detect occupational exposure to inorganic Ge and its compounds. It is prudent to recommend the monitoring of renal variables in workers exposed to Ge. Keywords: inorganic germanium; occupational exposure; biological monitoring |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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