Skip to main content
PMC home page
Occupational and Environmental Medicine logoLink to Occupational and Environmental Medicine
. 1999 May;56(5):328–333. doi: 10.1136/oem.56.5.328

Two year follow up of pulmonary function values among welders in New Zealand

R Erkinjuntti-Pekka, T Slater, S Cheng, D Fishwick, L Bradshaw, D Kimbell-, L Dronfield, N Pearce
PMCID: PMC1757732  PMID: 10472307

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether welding is a risk factor for an accelerated decline in pulmonary function. METHODS: 2 Year follow up of pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms among 54 welders and 38 non- welders in eight New Zealand welding sites. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in age, height, smoking habits, ethnicity, or total time in industrial work between welders and non-welders. No overall differences were noted in the changes of pulmonary function variables between the two study groups. However, when the comparison was restricted to smokers, welders had a significantly greater (p = 0.02) annual decline (88.8 ml) in FEV1 than non-welders, who had a slight non-significant annual increase (34.2 ml). Also, welders without respiratory protection or local exhaust ventilation while welding had a greater annual decline both in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) than welders with protection (p = 0.001 and 0.04, respectively). Among welders a significant association was found between the acute across shift change and the annual decline in FEV1. Chronic bronchitis was more common among welders (24%) than non-welders (5%). Only one welder (2%) but eight non- welders (21%) reported having asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Welders who smoked and welders working without local exhaust ventilation or respiratory protection have an increased risk of accelerated decline in FEV1.

 

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (117.0 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Akbar-Khanzadeh F. Short-term respiratory function changes in relation to workshift welding fume exposures. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1993;64(6):393–397. doi: 10.1007/BF00517944. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Akesson B., Skerfving S. Exposure in welding of high nickel alloy. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1985;56(2):111–117. doi: 10.1007/BF00379382. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beckett W. S., Pace P. E., Sferlazza S. J., Perlman G. D., Chen A. H., Xu X. P. Airway reactivity in welders: a controlled prospective cohort study. J Occup Environ Med. 1996 Dec;38(12):1229–1238. doi: 10.1097/00043764-199612000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Becklake M. R. Chronic airflow limitation: its relationship to work in dusty occupations. Chest. 1985 Oct;88(4):608–617. doi: 10.1378/chest.88.4.608. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burney P. G., Luczynska C., Chinn S., Jarvis D. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Eur Respir J. 1994 May;7(5):954–960. doi: 10.1183/09031936.94.07050954. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chinn D. J., Cotes J. E., el Gamal F. M., Wollaston J. F. Respiratory health of young shipyard welders and other tradesmen studied cross sectionally and longitudinally. Occup Environ Med. 1995 Jan;52(1):33–42. doi: 10.1136/oem.52.1.33. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chinn D. J., Stevenson I. C., Cotes J. E. Longitudinal respiratory survey of shipyard workers: effects of trade and atopic status. Br J Ind Med. 1990 Feb;47(2):83–90. doi: 10.1136/oem.47.2.83. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cotes J. E., Feinmann E. L., Male V. J., Rennie F. S., Wickham C. A. Respiratory symptoms and impairment in shipyard welders and caulker/burners. Br J Ind Med. 1989 May;46(5):292–301. doi: 10.1136/oem.46.5.292. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Enarson D. A., Vedal S., Chan-Yeung M. Rapid decline in FEV1 in grain handlers. Relation to level of dust exposure. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1985 Oct;132(4):814–817. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1985.132.4.814. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fishwick D., Bradshaw L. M., Slater T., Pearce N. Respiratory symptoms, across-shift lung function changes and lifetime exposures of welders in New Zealand. Scand J Work Environ Health. 1997 Oct;23(5):351–358. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.231. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Francis T. J. A study of the immediate effects of welding fume on pulmonary function. J R Nav Med Serv. 1982 Winter;68(3):136–144. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Glindmeyer H. W., Lefante J. J., Jones R. N., Rando R. J., Weill H. Cotton dust and across-shift change in FEV1 as predictors of annual change in FEV1. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1994 Mar;149(3 Pt 1):584–590. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.149.3.8118622. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. HUNNICUTT T. N., Jr, CRACOVANER D. J., MYLES J. T. SPIROMETRIC MEASUREMENTS IN WELDERS. Arch Environ Health. 1964 May;8:661–669. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1964.10663737. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Keimig D. G., Pomrehn P. R., Burmeister L. F. Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in welders of mild steel: a cross-sectional study. Am J Ind Med. 1983;4(4):489–499. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700040403. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kerstjens H. A., Rijcken B., Schouten J. P., Postma D. S. Decline of FEV1 by age and smoking status: facts, figures, and fallacies. Thorax. 1997 Sep;52(9):820–827. doi: 10.1136/thx.52.9.820. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. McMillan G. H., Pethybridge R. J. A clinical, radiological and pulmonary function case-control study of 135 Dockyard welders aged 45 years and over. J Soc Occup Med. 1984 Feb;34(1):3–23. doi: 10.1093/occmed/34.1.3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Moulin J. J. A meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies of lung cancer in welders. Scand J Work Environ Health. 1997 Apr;23(2):104–113. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.187. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Nielsen R., Gwosdow A. R., Berglund L. G., DuBois A. B. The effect of temperature and humidity levels in a protective mask on user acceptability during exercise. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 1987 Jul;48(7):639–645. doi: 10.1080/15298668791385336. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ozdemir O., Numanoğlu N., Gönüllü U., Savaş I., Alper D., Gürses H. Chronic effects of welding exposure on pulmonary function tests and respiratory symptoms. Occup Environ Med. 1995 Dec;52(12):800–803. doi: 10.1136/oem.52.12.800. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sferlazza S. J., Beckett W. S. The respiratory health of welders. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1991 May;143(5 Pt 1):1134–1148. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/143.5_Pt_1.1134. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tabona M., Chan-Yeung M., Enarson D., MacLean L., Dorken E., Schulzer M. Host factors affecting longitudinal decline in lung spirometry among grain elevator workers. Chest. 1984 Jun;85(6):782–786. doi: 10.1378/chest.85.6.782. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Occupational and Environmental Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES