Showing papers in "International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health in 2005"
TL;DR: Low-income marginal farmers were, more often subjected to severe poisoning than were landlords, and typically female tasks such as mixing on centrated chemicals and refilling spraying tanks were as hazardous as direct pesticide application.
Abstract: A season-long assessment of acute pesticide poisoning among farmers was conducted in three villages in India. Fifty female cotton growers reported the adverse effects experienced after exposures to pesticides by themselves and by their male relatives (n = 47). The study documented the serious consequences of pesticide use for the health of farmers, particularly women field helpers. Typically female tasks such as mixing concentrated chemicals and refilling spraying tanks were as hazardous as direct pesticide application. Of 323 reported events, 83.6% were associated with signs and symptoms of mild to severe poisoning, and 10% of the pesticide application sessions were associated with three or more neurotoxic/systemic signs and symptoms typical of poisoning by organophosphates, which were used in 47% of the applications. Although in 6% of the spray sessions the workers’ neurotoxic effects were extremely serious, none sought medical care. Low-income marginal farmers were more often subjected to severe poisoning than were landlords. Key words: pesticide acute poisoning; cotton; India; integrated pest management; gender. INT J OCCUP ENVIRON HEALTH 2005;11:221‐232 A griculture in South India is primarily a subsistence production system that involves 127 million cultivators and 107 million agricultural laborers. Crop productivity in the rain-fed area, which includes more than 70% of the cultivated land, is low and unpredictable. 1 The majority of the population (74.3%) is rural, 2 and 34.7% live below the international poverty level. 3 During the Green Revolution, high-yielding varieties of various crops were introduced into the farming systems to increase productivity. These varieties were significantly more susceptible to plant pests and diseases and, subsequently, the use of pesticides became more intense, increasing from 2,330 kton during 1950‐51 to 54,773 kton in 1990‐91 (Directorate of Plant Protection, 2002, personal communication). Pesticides are largely applied to protect commercial crops. Cotton cultivation alone uses more than 60% of the national consumption. The consequences of such indiscriminate use of pesticides have recently become a matter of public concern in India, following the publication of alarming information about the levels of pesticide residues in
178 citations
TL;DR: Categorized data analysis demonstrated significant associations between biomass smoke pollution and respiratory symptoms such as cough; phlegm; breathlessness; wheezing; and chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma.
Abstract: A cross-sectional assessment of indoor air quality in Nepal and its health effects revealed that solid biomass fuels (animal dung, crop residue, and wood) were the main sources of indoor air pollution affecting health. The average smoke level (PM10) in kitchens using biomass fuels was about three times higher than that in those using cleaner fuels. (kerosene, LPG, and biogas). Respondents in 98 randomly selected households included 168 who cooked daily meals, of whom 94% were disadvantaged women. Biomass smoke caused significantly more respiratory disorders than did cleaner fuels Categorized data analysis demonstrated significant associations between biomass smoke pollution and respiratory sYmptoms such as cough; phlegm; breathlessness; wheezing; and chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma. The prevalences of respiratory illnesses and symptoms were considerably higher in those living in mud and brick houses compared with concrete houses. Prevalences were also higher in those living on...
129 citations
TL;DR: The controversy about the use of tetraethyllead (TEL) as a gasoline additive is described, which erupted in 1924 after refinery accidents left workers dying from violent insanity and led to an international phase-out of leaded gasoline.
Abstract: The author describes the controversy about the use of tetraethyllead (TEL) as a gasoline additive. Early warnings were ignored by industry, and as leaded gasoline became more profitable, scientists willing to support industry were financed as guardians of the Scientific Criteria for lead's health impacts. Controversy erupted in 1924 after refinery accidents left workers dying from violent insanity. In efforts to protect their profits, industry executives falsely claimed there was no alternative to leaded gasoline. Fifty years passed before Scientific, court, and regulatory challenges had any influence. When independent research finally emerged, the results were damning enough to support an international phase-out of leaded gasoline.
87 citations
TL;DR: Public health professionals can learn from this strategy how to effectively build scientific and public opinion that prioritizes both good science and the public health.
Abstract: Corporations and industries use various tactics to obscure the fact that their products are dangerous or deadly. Their aim is to secure the least restrictive possible regulatory environment and avert legal liability for deaths or injuries in order to maximize profit. They work with attorneys and public relations professionals, using scientists, science advisory boards; front groups, industry organizations, think tanks, and the media to influence scientific and popular opinion of the risks of their products or processes. The strategy, which depends on corrupt science, profits corporations at the expense of public health. Public health professionals can learn from this strategy how to effectively build scientific and public opinion that prioritizes both good science and the public health.
84 citations
TL;DR: Although current lead exposure was associated with declines in several semen parameters (sperm morphology, concentration and total number of sperm), only sperm motility and viability differed significantly between the ≤40 μg/dL and > 40 μg/LC categories, and decreased with increasing PbB in simple linear regression.
Abstract: This study examined lead exposure (n = 43) and semen quality (n = 18) among traffic police officers in Arequipa, Peru, where leaded gasoline is used. Blood lead (PbB), was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and semen was analyzed following World Health Organization (WHO) protocol. Mean PbB was 48.5 μg/dL. Although current PbBwas associated with declines in several semen parameters (sperm morphology, concentration and total number of sperm), only sperm motility and viability differed significantly between the ≤40 μg/dL and > 40 μg/dL categories, and decreased with increasing PbB in simple linear regression. Traffic police are an indicator group for excessive ambient lead exposure, and these results support earlier findings on the male reproductive toxicity of lead. The results should be interpreted cautiously since the numbers were small and the analysis was unable to controlfor all potential confounders due to incomplete data.
81 citations
TL;DR: Burning sensations in eyes/face and skin rash were significantly associated with inhibition of SBuChE activity, and leukocyte and platelet counts were increased and hemoglobin decreased significantly, reflecting acute poisoning.
Abstract: To evaluate the health impact of insecticides on Palestinian farm workers in the Gaza Strip, the study assessed biomarkers in farm workers who used organophosphorus insecticides. Serum cholinesterase and complete blood count were determined before and after spraying of organophosphorus insecticides. Burning sensations in eyes/face (62.5%), itching/skin irritation (37.5%), and chest symptoms (29.2%) were reported. Serum butyrylcholinesterase (SBuChE) was significantly decreased at the end of the work day. Burning sensations in eyes/face and skin rash were significantly associated with inhibition of SBuChE activity (p < 0.05). Younger workers were more affected. Leukocyte and platelet counts were increased and hemoglobin decreased significantly, reflecting acute poisoning. Monitoring of SBuChE and hematologic parameters of farm workers could be useful to predict and prevent health hazards of pesticides.
66 citations
TL;DR: The death rate from poisoning by the herbicide paraquat was more than 70% of clinical cases, even though it is a low-concentration product, whereas those from the alternative herbicides, glufosinate and glyphosate, were less than 10%.
Abstract: Data concerning clinical cases of pesticide poisoning from 1998 to 2002 from the hospitals affiliated with the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine were analyzed. 346 cases of poisoning by agricultural chemicals were reported from 65 hospitals. Suicides accounted for 70% of pesticide poisoning cases, followed by accidental exposures during spraying work (16%) and accidental ingestion (8%). The majority of cases were acute or subacute systemic poisonings (90%), followed by acute dermatitis (5%) and chemical burns (3%). Organophosphate insecticide was the most frequent inducer of clinical cases (36%), followed by bipyridylium herbicide (20%) and carbamate insecticide (6%). The death rate from poisoning by the herbicide paraquat was more than 70% of clinical cases, even though it is a low-concentration product, whereas those from the alternative herbicides, glufosinate and glyphosate, were less than 10%.
61 citations
TL;DR: Exposures to carcinogens at work are still an issue in Italy and do not appear to be controlled as strictly as they should be.
Abstract: To update estimates of the prevalence of occupational exposures to carcinogens in Italy, the 85 CAREX agents were re-assessed. The original exposure estimates in the CAREX database were updated, taking into account changes in exposure patterns and in numbers of employees by industrial class. The 21.8 million employees in Italy, 19.4 in industry and services, 2.4 in agriculture, had 4.2 million exposures. Prevalences of exposures were highest for environmental (passive) tobacco smoke (800,000 exposures), solar radiation (700,000), diesel engine exhaust (500,000), wood dust (280,000), silica (250,000), lead and inorganic lead compounds (230,000), benzene (180 000), hexavalent chromium compounds (160,000), glass wool (140,000), and PAHs (120,000). Exposures to carcinogens at work are still an issue in Italy and do not appear to be controlled as strictly as they should be.
59 citations
TL;DR: Results show an odds ratio of 6.6 for asbestos exposure among this group of primary peritoneal mesothelioma cases with relatively slight asbestos exposures.
Abstract: The proportion of peritoneal mesotheliomas among all mesotheliomas has been decreasing, leading some to suggest that peritoneal mesothelioma occurs only after high levels of exposure to asbestos. To investigate the relationship between asbestos exposure and the development of peritoneal mesothelioma, a case-control study examined 40 cases of primary peritoneal mesothelioma from a single institution. This series differed from previous reports in that 75% of the cases and controls had attended college. Results show an odds ratio of 6.6 for asbestos exposure among this group of primary peritoneal mesothelioma cases with relatively slight asbestos exposures.
57 citations
TL;DR: Results add evidence for an association between air pollution and early mortality or morbidity and support the hypothesis of a synergism between meteorological variables and air pollution.
Abstract: A meta-analysis of short-term effects of air pollution on health in eight Italian cities from 1990 to 1999 is presented. Death certificates and hospital admission data as well as daily concentrations of pollutants were collected. The same generalized linear model adjusted for age, day of the week, holidays, influenza epidemics, meteorological variables, and seasonality pattern was fitted to the city data. City-specific model selection was not done. In the meta-analysis, for each outcome, the city-specific estimates for each pollutant were combined using fixed and random-effects models. Hierarchical Bayesian models were use to investigate the effects of PM10 in detail. Each pollutant (SO2, NO2, CO, PM10, O3) was significantly associated with mortality for natural causes. The effect of PM10 on mortality was greater during the warm season and for elderly. A north-south gradient in risk was observed for total natural mortality. The excess risks on hospital admission were modified by deprivation score and by the NO2/PM10 ratio. Results add evidence for an association between air pollution and early mortality or morbidity and support the hypothesis of a synergism between meteorological variables and air pollution.
57 citations
TL;DR: Risk of breast cancer was not associated with work with any specific crops or commodities except mushrooms, where the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 6.00, and risk associated with chemical use was stronger in younger women, those with early-onset breast cancer, and those diagnosed earlier.
Abstract: In a registry-based case-control study of breast cancer in farm labor union members in California, 128 breast cancer (BC) cases newly diagnosed in 1988--2001 and 640 cancer-free controls were investigated. Stage and grade of disease at diagnosis were about the same as in the California Hispanic population. Risk of breast cancer was not associated with work with any specific crops or commodities except mushrooms, where the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 6.00 (95% CI 2.01-18.0). Controlling for covariates, adjusted ORs (and 95% CIs) for breast cancer in quartiles of pesticide use were 1.00, 1.30 (0.73-2.30), 1.23 (0.67-2.27), and 1.41 (0.66-3.02). Chlordane, malathion, and 2,4-D were associated with increased risk. Risk associated with chemical use was stronger in younger women, those with early-onset breast cancer, and those diagnosed earlier (1988--1994).
TL;DR: The authors explore how asbestos-lined brake manufacturers have corrupted medical literature to escape liability, analyzing studies funded by these companies to enable them to claim that work with asbestos brake linings never causes mesothelioma.
Abstract: Much of the "debate" about the relationship between asbestos exposure from automobile brake work and asbestos-induced cancer has been fueled by studies that have been funded by corporations with billions at stake in tort litigation. The authors explore how asbestos-lined brake manufacturers have corrupted medical literature to escape liability, analyzing studies funded by these companies to enable them to claim that work with asbestos brake linings never causes mesothelioma. They reveal how the companies have redefined scientific criteria for the determination of cause-effect relationships and manipulated scientific data to give the impression of an absence of effect. But the absence of evidence is not evidence of the absence of an effect.
University of Connecticut1, Harvard University2, Boston University3, University of Toronto4, Johns Hopkins University5, University of the Republic6, Brown University7, Shaare Zedek Medical Center8, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia9, Drexel University10, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign11, Rutgers University12, University of Copenhagen13, University of Leeds14, National Institutes of Health15, University of Massachusetts Boston16, University of California, San Francisco17, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai18, National University of Cordoba19, University of KwaZulu-Natal20, University of Córdoba (Spain)21, University of British Columbia22, Hebrew University of Jerusalem23, Tufts University24, State University of Campinas25, Michigan State University26, AFL–CIO27, Federal University of Bahia28, University of Alberta29, University of London30, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill31, University of Washington32, University of Colorado Denver33, Universidade Federal de Pelotas34, University of Guelph35, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey36
TL;DR: An issue relevant to scientifit integrity has arisen in connection with a court case in the Amazon, wherein the Amazonian people are seeking redress for environmental damage and deleterious health effects related to the operations of Texaco in theAmazon region of Ecuador.
Abstract: A.. n issue relevant to scientifit integrity has arisen in ·connection with a court case in the Amazon, wherein the Amazonian people are seeking redress for environmental damage and deleterious health effects related to the operations of Texaco in the Amazon region of Ecuador. It has been estimated that in its more than 20 years of oil exploitation·· in Ecuador (1971-1992), Texaco discharged into the environment 16.8 million gallons of' crude oil and· 20 billion gallons of toxic wastes.1 The. environmental damage caused by Texaco can be compared to 10.8 million gallons of crude oil spilled in Alaska in the Exxon. Valdez tanker disaster in 1989. Mor~over, six hundred open pits filled with toxic waste were apparently left in the surrounding' communities in . Ecuador.2,3 In 1995, the company signed' an agreement with Ecuador's government to undertake clean up activities in return for releasing the company from future responsibility related' to its former oil operations.4 On February 10, 2005, during the ongoing court proceedings, major newspapers in Ecuador ran a full-page (presumably paid) advertisement citing reports by scientists 'retained by Texaco who critiqued studies published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals that suggest links between adverse health effects and oil development in the Amazon.5-1oTexaco's consultant scientists, Kenneth Rothman, Felix Arellano, Alvaro Felipe Davalos Perez, Lowell Sever, DavidJ. Hewitt, and Laura Green, pointed to alleged weaknesses in the ..published studies. The ad was, to us, a blatant effort by the company to sway. public opinion as the legal case was being heard. The Web site is available at: . Epidemiologic studies, however meticulously conducted, may have inherent limitations, as allepidemiologists are aware. Epidemiology is not laboratory science but a study of the' real world, and thus always subjectto challenge in its ability to control for. all potential· effects. Especially, in .vulnerable study .populations, exact· details of the· populations.at risk, as well as the extents, natures, and durations of exposures, are difficult· to document, and ascertainment of 'outcomes is limited by the quality of health services available. However, epidemiologic findings' can confidently detect trends, and it is the body of evidence that should influence policy.' The scien.tificprocessof peer. review ascertains .whether the potential weaknesses of any' study raise doubts sufficient. to preclude publication of its .findings and' conclusions. Texaco's consultants went to great pains to find flaws.in the studies. Some of the so-:-calledweaknesses they point out are not even themselves of particular concern, e.g., while \"memory bias of respondents\" may be .a confounder in some circumstances, it· is hardly a factor in the case of remembering < pregnancy and spontaneous abortion ..·Self-reported health effectsof which they also seem to question the validity-is a widely used· and accepted practice. The onus cannot be put on sci.;. entists to ensure that data are available· 'to evaluate adverse health impacts. It is far more logical to require' a company extracting minerals· or biological raw materials to accept responsibility, as good corporate citizens, for determining what protective measures it would be prudent to impose, and to monitor its success in controlling poten>tial adverse human health and environmental effects. If this did not occur, should we not be asking \"why not\"? In 'many\" jurisdictions,environmental health, impact assessments are now ,required-:7\"putting the onus where it belongs: on those who, are responsible for the poten':' tial health impacts. In fact, environmental health impact assessments are 'increasingly addressing. not only direct (toxicologic),. but also indirect ,impacts, of development· projects (health effects mediated by changes in ecologic and social systems).1l,12Texaco's Web site maintains that the primary causes of disease in the region are poverty, poor sanitation, naturally occurringbacteria and. parasites, a lack ·of access to clean water, and insufficient infrastructure, adding that, \"it is both irresponsible and inaccurate for the plaintiffs to ignore. these well-documented conditions.\" Yet nowhere does Texaco mention how oil development has conceivably:' altered these conditions, nor does it state that such conditions' increase vulnerability to the environmental exposures of concern. Responsible environmen tal health scientists, cognizant of the need to.assess indirect as well as direct health effects of operations such as these, would have raised these issues \
an open and comprehensive discussion. Texaco's protagonists, whether or not, they agree, about the adverse health impacts of the social and ecologic disruptions related to the oil company's operations, can hardly believe· that the agents involved in drilling, and in the extracted oil, are innocuous. The hired experts.never referred to industrial and environmental exposure records, so presumably either the company failed to collect and maintain these data or the containment of the toxic agents was ineffective, and therefore not mentioned: The consultants commissioned by Texaco might have reasonably been expected to note that in the light of the monitoring, control, and mitigating measures provided to· them by the company
TL;DR: A traffic-related exposure study was conducted among 58 workers (drivers, vendors, traffic police, and gas station attendants) and 10 office workers as controls in Trujillo, Peru, in July 2002 as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A traffic-related exposure study was conducted among 58 workers (drivers, vendors, traffic police, and gas station attendants) and 10 office workers as controls in Trujillo, Peru, in July 2002. PM2.5 was collected, carbon monoxide (CO) was measured, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were sampled and analyzed. Newspaper vendors had the highest full-shift CO exposures (mean +/- SD: 11.4 +/- 8.9 ppm), while office workers had the lowest (2.0 +/- 1.7 ppm). Bus drivers had the highest full-shift PM2.5 exposures (161 +/- 8.9 microg/m3), while gas station attendants (64 +/- 26.5 microg/m3) and office workers (65 +/- 8.5 microg/m3) were the lowest. Full-shift benzene/toluene/ethylbenzene/xylene exposures (BTEX) among gas station attendants (111/254/43/214 microg/m3) were much higher than those among van and taxi drivers. Several of the traffic-related occupational exposures studied were elevated and are of occupational health concern.
TL;DR: Although occupational and environmental diseases are often viewed as isolated and unique failures of science, the government, or industry to protect the best interest of the public, they are in fact an outcome of a pervasive system of corporate priority setting, decision making, and influence as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Although occupational and environmental diseases are often viewed as isolated and unique failures of science, the government, or industry to protect the best interest of the public, they are in fact an outcome of a pervasive system of corporate priority setting, decision making, and influence. This system produces disease because political, economic, regulatory and ideological norms prioritize values of wealth and profit over human health and environmental well-being. Science is a key part of this system; there is a substantial tradition of manipulation of evidence, data, and analysis, ultimately designed to maintain favorable conditions for industry at both material and ideological levels. This issue offers examples of how corporations influence science, shows the effects that influence has on environmental and occupational health, and provides evidence of a systemic problem.
TL;DR: The wide range of Hg levels in the urine and hair of Andean children of gold miners may place them at risk for neurodevelopmental and learning disorders, and these levels tended to be higher for children aged 6–14 years than for a younger group.
Abstract: This field study investigated mercury (Hg) levels in urine and hair of Andean children of indigenous Saraguro and Metizo gold miners in the Nambija, Ecuador gold mining settlement. Spot samples of urine and hair samples were collected concurrently from 80 children each. Urine samples were used to determine the inorganic Hg burden, while hair samples were used as an index of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure, from consumption of Hg contaminated fish. The mean level of Hg in urine (Hgu) was 10.9 μg/L, and the mean level in hair (HgH) was 6.0 μg/g. Regression analysis showed a significant association (r = 0.404, p = 0.0007) between matched HgU and HgH samples. Mean Hgu and HgH levels tended to be higher for children aged 6–14 years than for a younger group. The wide range of Hg levels in the urine and hair of Andean children of gold miners may place them at risk for neurodevelopmental and learning disorders.
TL;DR: House interviews were used to survey 21,105 persons living in 431 urban and rural sites in Ghana, to determine the nature and extent of their occupational injuries, and there were substantial occupational injury rates among children, especially in rural areas.
Abstract: Household interviews were used to survey 21,105 persons living in 431 urban and rural sites in Ghana, to determine the nature and extent of their occupational injuries. Annual occupational injury rates were 11.5 injuries/1000 persons in the urban areas and 44.9/1000 in the rural areas. Occupational injuries had higher mortality, longer disability, and higher treatment costs than non-occupational injuries. There were substantial occupational injury rates among children, especially in rural areas. In the urban areas, the largest numbers of injuries were to drivers (12.7% of urban occupational injuries) and traders (19.4%), most of which were road-traffic-related. In the rural areas, most injuries (71.6%) were to farm workers. Occupational injuries are a substantial burden in Ghana. Priorities include improving road safety and improving the prevention and treatment of injuries from nonmechanized farming.
TL;DR: IQ and WRAVMA composite scores were inversely related to blood lead level, with an effect size of approximately 6 points decline for a 10-μg/dL increase in blood lead.
Abstract: The relationship between blood lead level and neurodevelopment was assessed in a pilot cross-sectional study of 74 4-14-year-old children in Chennai, India Mean blood lead level was 111 μg/dL (25,–383) The Binet-Kamath IQ test and the Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Activity (WRAVMA) were administered to 58 children Teachers completed the Connor's Behavioral Rating Scale Excluding two outliers, IQ and WRAVMA composite scores were inversely related to blood lead level, with an effect size of approximately 6 points decline for a 10-μg/dL increase in blood lead Children in the highest and lowest blood lead quartiles had mean IQs of 956±133 and 1020±225, respectively Behavior ratings were not associated with blood lead level Lead exposure is a significant problem among Indian children, with many having blood lead leveIs associated with increased neurodevelopmental risk
TL;DR: The authors present three common scenarios in which faulty design of epidemiologic studies skews results, and list 15 study design flaws that lead to results that are dangerously misleading with regard to both the evaluation and the improvement of public health.
Abstract: In spite of claiming primary prevention as their aim, studies of potential occupational and environmental health hazards that are funded either directly or indirectly by industry are likely to have negative results. The authors present three common scenarios in which faulty design of epidemiologic studies skews results, and list 15 study design flaws that lead to results that are dangerously misleading with regard to both the evaluation and the improvement of public health.
TL;DR: US EPA and the wastewater treatment industry have worked with Congress to fund wastewater trade associations to promote land application, supporting industry-friendly scientists and discouraging independent research, to prevent local governments from restricting land application and to thwart litigation against municipalities and the industry.
Abstract: Serious illnesses, including deaths, and adverse environmental impacts have been linked to land application of sewage sludge. EPA and the wastewater treatment industry have worked with Congress to fund wastewater trade associations to promote land application, supporting industry-friendly scientists and discouraging independent research, to prevent local governments from restricting land application and to thwart litigation against municipalities and the industry.
TL;DR: A range of health charities, professional associations, nonprofit advocacy organizations, and industry-created organizations that receive significant funding from industry are described.
Abstract: Those who provide information about scientific issues and science policy normally present themselves as being objective and "scientific." This article describes a range of health charities, professional associations, nonprofit advocacy organizations, and industry-created organizations that receive significant funding from industry. In some cases, industry appears either to influence an organization's positions or to limit an organization's freedom to speak out on matters of interest to the funders. Nonprofit organizations need to consider the potential influence on their independence if they accept funding from interested companies and trade associations.
TL;DR: Wet work was significantly associated with prevalence, and RR was increased in those who performed more frequent wet work, i.e., trainee hairdressers, and that use of protective measures may be a reaction to incidence rather than a precaution.
Abstract: Prevalence of hand dermatitis was investigated in 60 U.K hairdressing salons. Exposure variables and individual, characteristics were examined for associations with prevalence. 38.6% of respondents reported prevalent hand dermatitis and 72.7% of prevalent cases reported interdigital symptoms. Trainee hairdressers reported an increased risk, of hand. Dermatit is, (RR = 2.95,95% CI = 1.13–7.66), as did those with ≤2 years in the profession (RR = 4.91, 95% CI = 1.09–22.22). There was a positive association between prevalence and frequent use of protective measures (p= 0.04), suggesting that use of protective measures may be a reaction to incidence rather than a precaution. Wet work was significantly associated with prevalence, and RR was increased in those who performed more frequent wet work, i.e., trainee hairdressers. Prevalence was far higher, than suggested by the surveillance schemes in the U.K.
TL;DR: This survey examined the professional development of occupational physicians, occupational nurses, industriaL hygienists, and ergonomists in terms of practice competencies and academic curriculum.
Abstract: The World Health Organization has identified a worldwide shortage of occupational health professionals, but evidence suggests that the work and education of these professionals vary across countries. This survey examined the professional development of occupational physicians, occupational nurses, industrial hygienists, and ergonomists in terms of practice competencies and academic curriculum. Of 89 countries that received the survey, 48 (54%) responded. Important differences in competencies and curricula were identified for all groups. More competencies were identified more frequently in developed countries. Academic programs existed more often in developed countries, but curriculum contents varied. The study provides a concrete reference point for discussion and development of competencies and curriculum.
TL;DR: In this paper, the proportion of cancer attributable to occupation (PAR) in different geographical areas in Italy is reviewed using lists of industrial activities and occupations which are known or suspected to entail exposure to lung carcinogens.
Abstract: Population studies estimating the proportion of cancer attributable to occupation (PAR) in different geographical areas in Italy are reviewed. Studies using lists of industrial activities. and occupations which are known or suspectedto entail exposure to lung carcinogens gave lung cancer PARs between 5% and 36%. Those using job-exposure matrices estimated PARs of 3%–53%, with most of the values ranging between 17 and 33%. For bladder cancer, PARs ranged between 4% and 24%. The uses and limitations of calculating population attribultable risk are discussed.
TL;DR: Examining annual cases of these diseases in Zambian miners including comparison of periods before (1960–1970) and after (1992–2002) the arrival of the HIV/AIDS pandemic found a marked increase in cases of TB.
Abstract: Silicosis and tuberculosis (TB) are significant mining-related illnesses in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to examine annual cases of these diseases in Zambian miners, including comparison of periods before (1960-1970) and after (1992-2002) the arrival of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Occupational Health and Safety Research Bureau of Zambia reported 2114 cases from 1945 to 2002. Of these, 22.7% were silicosis, 65.4% TB, and the remaining 11.9% silicotuberculosis. While silicosis cases decreased from 28.6% to 12.4% with the arrival of HIV/AIDS, there was a large increase in tuberculosis cases (37.1% to 86.1%), with a corresponding decrease in silicotuberculosis cases (34.3% to 1.6%). Although silicosis remains an occupational health issue in Zambian miners, the most significant problem appears to be the marked increase in cases of TB.
TL;DR: Corporations have long influenced environmental and occupational health in agriculture, doing a great deal of damage, making substantial profits, and shaping public debate to make it appear that environmental misfortunes are accidents of an otherwise well-functioning system.
Abstract: Corporations have long influenced environmental and occupational health in agriculture, doing a great deal of damage, making substantial profits, and shaping public debate to make it appear that environmental misfortunes are accidents of an otherwise well-functioning system, rather than systemic. The debate over the genetically modified (GM) crops is an example. The largest producer of commercial GM seeds, Monsanto, exemplifies the industry's strategies: the invocation of poor people as beneficiaries, characterization of opposition as technophobic or anti-progress, and portrayal of their products as environmentally beneficial in the absence of or despite the evidence. This strategy is endemic to contemporary market capitalism, with its incentives to companies to externalize health and environmental costs to increase profits.
TL;DR: Italy's shift to a tertiary and service-oriented economy has considerably modified the working market, concentrating demand at two extremes: on one hand, a highly specialized workforce, and on the other, a totally unqualified, mobile, and flexible one, which includes most immigrants.
Abstract: At the beginning of 2002, there were 1,600,000 foreign-born persons living in Italy; the majority from countries outside Europe. Those residing in the country for working purposes were 800,680. Italy's shift to a tertiary and service-oriented economy has considerably modified the working market, concentrating demand at two extremes: on one hand, a highly specialized workforce, and on the other, a totally unqualified, mobile, and flexible one, which includes most immigrants
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The authors stress the need for transparency of the connections among authors, reviewers, publishers, editors, and sources of funding to prevent erosion of trust in the scientific integrity of such publications.
Abstract: The encroachment of conflicts of interest on the peer-review process of scientific journals is discussed, with particular reference to a current example. The authors stress the need for transparency of the connections among authors, reviewers, publishers, editors, and sources of funding to prevent erosion of trust in the scientific integrity of such publications.
TL;DR: The authors propose WHP as an equitable collective action targeting primarily work hazards and their determinants as well as effective labor and health legislation and a fair degree of social redistribution of resources support WHP.
Abstract: The Latin American and Caribbean region is witnessing the emergence of discussion on workplace health promotion (WHP). The authors propose WHP as an equitable collective action targeting primarily work hazards and their determinants. It has its economic-political "macro" level and a downstream "micro" level. On the macro level, neoliberalism, privatization, and deregulation threaten equitable health and labor issues. Effective labor and health legislation and a fair degree of social redistribution of resources support WHP. Micro-scale WHP is important for contextual reasons and social diffusion, and can literally save lives. Worker involvement, free association of workers, public health affiliation, the precautionary principle, sensitization and training, employer responsibility for healthy working conditions, coalitions between workers and health professionals, and preference for reduction of direct work hazards over modification of personal lifestyles are basic tenets of WHP.
TL;DR: Brazilian labor legislation for adolescent workers needs to be revised to take into account that jobs can compromise educational achievement.
Abstract: In a prospective cohort study, the hypotheses that adolescent students who work have poorer school performances, more sick days, and poor self-perceived health were examined. From a one-stage random cluster area sampling of 2,512 households in Bahia, Brazil, 888 students 10–21 years of age were asked to answer questionnaires. School dropouts were more common among working students independently of gender. Both full-time (PRadjusted = 2.43; 95% CI: 1.49–3.96) and part-time (PRadjusted = 2.07; 95% CI: 1.28–3.35) working males were more likely to report frequent class skipping. Among females, paid Jobs also were associated with poor self-perceived health, but not after adjustment for age and SES. Brazilian labor legislation for adolescent workers needs to be revised to take into account that jobs can compromise educational achievement.