background: despite wide application of chromium in electroplating industry, the pulmonary effects of chronic exposure to this chemical have not been extensively studied and are subject of debate and controversy. this study was, therefore, undertaken to further address this issue.   methods: the study population consisted of a group of 15 workers with a history of past and present occupational ...

background the exposure to noxious agwents such as lead my cause lung disorders. objectives in the present study, pulmonary function tests and self-reported respiratory symptoms in lead exposure workers were compared with matched control subjects. materials and methods the frequency of respiratory symptoms were evaluated in a sample of 108 lead exposure workers and 100 control subjects with sim...

background : the present study was undertaken to ascertain whether (or not) long term occupational exposure to low (sub-tlv levels) atmospheric concentrations of chlorine gas was associated with any significant decrements in the parameters of pulmonary function and/or  increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms. methods : in this retrospective cohort study that was performed in 2012, 54 worke...

garbage collectors are occupationally exposed to a variety of airborne contaminants. the main objective of this study was to evaluate the respiratory health of garbage collectors. this study was carried out in fars province, south of iran. a group of 105 garbage collectors and 93 referent subjects were investigated. a standard questionnaire was administered to both groups. furthermore, subjects...

background welding is defined as linking two metals with a local conjunction in sufficient thermal, pressing and metallurgical condition. there are several methods for linking two metals in welding. objectives welding is one of the professional jobs in iran, yet there have not been considerable studies on its harmful effects. the current study aimed to compare lung functional tests between weld...

background: galvanization is the process of coating steel or cast iron pieces with a thin layer of zinc allowing protection against corrosion. one of the important hazards in this industry is exposure to zinc compounds specially zinc oxide fumes and dusts. in this study we evaluated chronic effects of zinc oxide on the respiratory tract of galvanizers. method : 188 workers were selected from a ...

background: workers in wastewater treatment plants are exposed to a wide range of chemicals as well as biological contaminants. objective: to ascertain whether exposure to bio-aerosols under the normal working conditions in wastewater treatment plants is associated with any significant changes in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and lung function capacities. methods: 198 employees of wast...

asthma is the most  common  chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by cough, wheezing and dyspnea in children. nutrition  is an important  factor which influences on induction and exacerbation of asthma. there are controversies to use vitamin e in asthmatic patients. the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin e supplement in children with moderate asthma. this is a randomi...

background: occupational exposure to excessive level of copper results in many adverse health effects. objective: to measure pulmonary function, oxidative stress, and extent of dna damage in workers of a copper processing industry. methods: 30 men working in a copper processing industry and 30 men matched for age and socioeconomic status (comparison group) were included in this study. pulmonary...

background: cotton is the main agricultural export product in benin. cotton dust is thus present in the air during the handling and processing of cotton. this dust contains a mixture of substances including ground up plant matter, fibres, bacteria, fungi, soil, pesticides, noncotton matter, and other contaminants. while cotton processing is decreasing in industrialized countries, it is increasi...