Premium
Respiratory morbidity of pattern and model makers exposed to wood, plastic, and metal products
Author(s) -
Robins Thomas G.,
Haboubi Ghalib,
Demers Raymond Y.,
Schork M. Anthony
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.4700170204
Subject(s) - medicine , chronic bronchitis , pulmonary function testing , environmental health , logistic regression
Pattern and model makers are skilled tradespersons who may be exposed to hardwoods, softwoods, phenol‐formaldehyde resin‐impregnated woods, epoxy and polyester/styrene resin systems, and welding and metal‐casting fumes. The relationship of respiratory symptoms (wheezing, chronic bronchitis, dyspnea) and pulmonary function (FVC% predicted, FEV 1 % predicted, FEV 1 /FVC% predicted) with interview‐derived cumulative exposure estimates to specific workplace agents and to all work with wood, plastic, or metal products was investigated in 751 pattern and model makers in southeast Michigan. In stratified analyses and age‐and smoking‐adjusted linear and logistic regression models, measures of cumulative wood exposures were associated with decrements in pulmonary function and dyspnea, but not with other symptoms. In similar analyses, measures of cumulative plastic exposures were associated with wheezing, chronic bronchitis, and dyspnea, but not with decrements in pulmonary function. Prior studies of exposure levels among pattern and model makers and of respiratory health effects of specific agents among other occupational groups support the plausibility of wood‐related effects more strongly than that of plastic‐related effects.