Occupational exposure to soft paper dust and mortality

Neitzel, Richard L.; Sällsten, Gerd; Andersson, Eva

doi:10.1136/oemed-2019-106394

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Several studies have been performed in Sweden [ 11 – 16 , 19 , 22 – 24 ], Germany [ 8 , 9 ], and Poland [ 25 ] concerning paper dust. However, to the best of our knowledge there is no published scientific study on the level of worker exposure to paper dust in Africa particularly in Ethiopia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of paper dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among paper factory workers in, Ethiopia; a comparative cross-sectional study

et al. 2023

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Background Workers in pulp and paper factories are continuously exposed to paper dust. Excessive exposure to paper dust can cause respiratory disease. Information about the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and dust exposure levels among workers in pulp and paper factories is not available in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess personal total dust exposure levels, the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and their associated risk factors among workers in Ethiopian pulp and paper factories. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 40 dust measurements were carried out on 20 randomly selected workers. To assess chronic respiratory symptoms and associated factors, 434 workers from two paper factories and controls were interviewed using a standard questionnaire adapted from the American Thoracic Society (ATS). Gravimetric analyses of the filters were undertaken using a standard microbalance. Poisson regression was performed for comparing the prevalence of symptoms and risk factors for the two groups. Multivariable analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. Result The arithmetic mean (AM) and geometric mean (GM) of dust exposure levels among the paper factories workers were 11.3 (± 7.7) and 10.2 (± 1.4) mg/m3 respectively. This exposure level exceeded the threshold limit value recommended for total dust (10 mg/m3). The prevalence of having at least one chronic respiratory symptom was about 51% among the workers in paper factories. The prevalence ratio of having chronic respiratory symptoms among paper factory workers was 5.6 times higher (PR = 6, 95% CI 3.5–10.3) than in the controls. Chronic respiratory symptoms were significantly associated with factors such as an educational status of less than grade 9, being employed in the work sections of the factories, having work experience of 5 years and above, working more than 8 h per day and having a past history of occupation and respiratory illnesses. Conclusion The dust concentration in the paper factories exceeded the acceptable recommended limit value of 10 mg/m3. The prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms among paper factory workers was higher than among controls. The main determining factors for chronic respiratory symptoms among the workers were the specific work section such as production section, low income, having past history of respiratory illnesses, the number of years of working and low educational status. This finding indicated the need for improving the working conditions in paper factories in Ethiopia.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of paper dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among paper factory workers in, Ethiopia; a comparative cross-sectional study

et al. 2023

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“…Our results showing that men working outside have clear risk for IPD may indicate that if the airways are exposed to harsh conditions, the sensitivity for different contact dimensions increases. The underlying assumption is that men are more exposed to fumes, dust, and irritants, which has been observed in both industrial cohorts and in general‐population‐based studies 27−28 . Another possible reason why men have an increased risk is that there are physiological differences between the genders, which affect both hormonal activities and the and immune system 29 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The underlying assumption is that men are more exposed to fumes, dust, and irritants, which has been observed in both industrial cohorts and in general‐population‐based studies. 27 , 28 Another possible reason why men have an increased risk is that there are physiological differences between the genders, which affect both hormonal activities and the and immune system. 29 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transmission factors and exposure to infections at work and invasive pneumococcal disease

Albin

Alderling

Schiöler

et al. 2022

American J Industrial Med

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Background: Working in close contacts with coworkers or the general public may be associated with transmission of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). We investigated whether crowded workplaces, sharing surfaces, and exposure to infections were factors associated with IPD.Methods: We studied 3,968 cases of IPD, and selected six controls for each case from the Swedish population registry with each control being assigned the index date of their corresponding case. We linked job histories to job-exposure matrices to assess different transmission dimensions of pneumococci, as well as occupational exposure to fumes. We used adjusted conditional logistic analyses to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for IPD with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).Results: ORs for IPD for the different transmission dimensions were increased moderately but were statistically significant. Compared to home-working or working alone, the highest odds was for Working mostly outside, or partly inside (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.04−1.38). Estimates were higher in men for all dimensions, compared to women.The odds for IPD for Working mostly outside, or partly inside were 1.33 (95% CI 1.13−1.56) and 0.79 (95% CI 0.55−1.14) for men and women, respectively. Higher odds were seen for all transmission dimensions among those exposed to fumes, although CIs included unity. Contact with ill or infected patients did not increase the odds for IPD. Conclusion:IPD was associated with working in close contact with coworkers or the general public, and with outside work, especially for men. Contact with infected patients or persons was not associated with IPD.

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“…This cohort comprises workers from three soft paper mills in Sweden that have previously been described. 15 The characteristics of the cohort, stratified by gender, are presented in Table 1. We had access to personnel files from all three mills, and all workers employed for at least 1 year between 1960 and 2008 were included in the cohort.…”

Section: Study Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We have previously analyzed a large cohort of 7870 workers from three Swedish soft paper mills, finding an increased mortality from obstructive lung disease, especially asthma. 15 In this paper we extend the analyses and present this large cohort of soft paper workers, both men and women, with the specific aim to investigate whether exposure to soft paper dust increased the incidence of cancer and malignant tumors. We were especially interested to see if the risk of respiratory cancer, including sinonasal cancer and pleural mesothelioma, was increased.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer incidence among workers in soft paper mills: A cohort study

Neitzel

Eriksson

Andersson

2023

American J Industrial Med

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Objectives: To elucidate whether occupational exposure to soft paper dust increases the incidence of cancer.Methods: We studied 7988 workers in Swedish soft paper mills from 1960 to 2008, of whom 3233 (2 187 men and 1046 women) had more than 10 years of employment. They were divided into high exposure (>5 mg/m 3 for >1 year) or lower exposure to soft paper dust based on a validated job-exposure matrix. They were followed from 1960 to 2019, and person-years at risk were stratified according to gender, age, and calendar-year. The expected numbers of incident tumors were calculated using the Swedish population as the reference, and standardized incidence ratios (SIR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were assessed.Results: Among high-exposure workers with more than 10 years of employment, there was an increased incidence of colon cancer (SIR 1.66, 95% CI 1.20−2.31), small intestine cancer (SIR 3.27, 95% CI 1.36−7.86), and thyroid gland cancer (SIR 2.68, 95% CI 1.11−6.43), as well as lung cancer (SIR 1.56, 95% CI 1.12−2.19). Among the lower-exposed workers there was an increased incidence of connective tissue tumors (sarcomas) (SIR 2.26, 95% CI 1.13−4.51) and pleural mesothelioma (SIR 3.29, 95% CI 1.37−7.91). Conclusion:Workers in soft paper mills with high exposure to soft paper dust have an increased incidence of large and small intestine tumors. Whether the increased risk is caused by paper dust exposure or some unknown associated factors is unclear. The increased incidence of pleural mesothelioma is probably linked to asbestos exposure. The reason for increased incidence of sarcomas is unknown.

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Occupational exposure to soft paper dust and mortality

Cited by 11 publications

References 27 publications

Assessment of paper dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among paper factory workers in, Ethiopia; a comparative cross-sectional study

Assessment of paper dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among paper factory workers in, Ethiopia; a comparative cross-sectional study

Transmission factors and exposure to infections at work and invasive pneumococcal disease

Cancer incidence among workers in soft paper mills: A cohort study

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