Respiratory pathology pattern of aluminium industry workers in Russian Arctic

• Main Authors: S A Syurin, O A Burakova
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Arctic; Kandalaksha
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1082.6041; http://vestnik.mstu.edu.ru/v15_3_n49/articles/627_632_syurinB.pdf

Abstract. The aim of the study is to investigate risks, prevalence, clinical forms of chronic bronchopulmonary diseases (CBPD) in aluminum workers and assess whether asthma and other respiratory conditions occur excessively among pot workers. The survey of 479 workers at Kandalaksha aluminum smelter has shown that the most prevalent respiratory disease is chronic bronchitis (CB) detected in 13,4-17,0 % of workers. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma (all forms) are diagnosed much less frequently (2,9 % each). The development of CB and COPD is closely associated with the degree of exposure to tobacco smoke and harmful production factors. Work experience lasting 6-14 years has led to an increased risk of CB / COPD to 5,11 (CI 1,80), work experience lasting for more than 14 years -up to 7,78 (CI 1,33) as compared with the employment duration of less than 6 years. CB/COPD are diagnosed in 31,3 % of smokers and only in 5,8 % of non-smokers (p < 0,01). In case of asthma, such a link is missing. Potroom asthma should be highlighted among the various pathogenetic variants of the disease identified in the aluminum industry workers. This variant of asthma with currently unclear causal factors and features of the pathogenesis is a specific health disorder to a given occupational group. The prevalence of CB, COPD and asthma (all forms) do not differ significantly among workers employed directly in servicing the electrolysers, and workers in other parts of the production of aluminum. The only exception is potroom asthma that develops more frequently in the exposed group of pot and anode operators. It has been concluded that the medical and social significance of potroom asthma requires further investigation of the unknown features of etiology and pathogenesis of this disease. Аннотация. Исследованы факторы риска, распространенности и клинических форм хронических бронхолегочных заболеваний (ХБЛЗ) у работников алюминиевой промышленности, а также особенности развития ХБЛЗ и астмы у работников, ...