Work related symptoms among sewage workers: a nationwide survey in Sweden

Abstract

Aims: To assess the risk for work related symptoms among sewage workers in Sweden using a postal questionnaire. Methods: All municipalities in Sweden were contacted and asked to provide addresses of sewage workers and controls. Controls were recruited among other municipal workers not exposed to sewage, such as workers in drinking water plants and gardeners. A questionnaire was sent to the subjects and after two reminders, the response rate was 74% among sewage workers and 59% among controls. Results: Significantly increased risks for airway symptoms, chronic bronchitis, and toxic pneumonitis, as well as central nervous system symptoms such as headache, unusual tiredness, and concentration difficulties were found among the sewage workers compared with controls. Furthermore, an increased risk for non-specific work related gastrointestinal symptoms was found among the sewage workers; an increased risk for joint pains, related to pains in more than four joints but not with loading, was also found. Conclusions:The results of this questionnaire survey show an increased risk for airway, gastrointestinal, and general symptoms such as joint pains and central nervous system symptoms among sewage workers. Clinical investigations are needed to determine the cause of the reported symptoms among sewage workers, and further field studies are required to assess the causal agents.

Cognitive Functions Changes Among Egyptian Sewage Network Workers

“…In the current study, investigating the frequency of some of central nervous system symptoms that may suggest cognitive impairment ( memory defects, and lack of concentration), revealed statistically significant higher percentage of these symptoms among the exposed group compared to the controls ( table 1, P<0.01). These results are greatly supported by a similar study of Thorn et al, (2002) who reported significantly increased risks for similar symptoms among sweden sewage workers. Also similar symptoms were reported among ex-workers and neighboring residents who were exposed to hydrogen sulfide and other reduced-sulfur compounds emitted from an oil refinery in concentrations ranged from a low of 10 ppb to 8.…”

Health Survey of Residents Living Near Farm Fields Permitted to Receive Biosolids

“…Likewise, Rylander 14 reported an increased risk of joint pain among sewage workers. Thorn et al 26 attributed this increased risk of joint pain to an inflammatory/systemic response among sewage workers. Possible causative agents have been reported as viruses such as Norwalk virus, other microorganisms, and endotoxins.…”

“…A variety of infectious agents have been postulated as important in the etiology of multiple sclerosis, but a causal association has not been demonstrated convincingly for any infectious agent. [26][27][28][29] An increased risk for multiple sclerosis is likely to involve a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposures. 30 In addition, a clustering of multiple sclerosis in Galion, OH, from 1982 to 1985 was attributed to an excess concentration of heavymetal wastes, especially cadmium and chromium, in sewage and river water.…”

Occupational skin diseases and prevention among sanitation workers in China

“…Previous researches reported that musculoskeletal disorders (periarthritis of shoulder, cervical spondylopathy, arthritis, and so on) 6,9 and respiratory symptoms (chronic bronchitis) 4,[10][11][12] were common diseases in sanitation workers. In the survey carried out by Liang et al, they performed a comparison of the respiratory function between sanitation workers and teachers, the results showed that the respiratory function of sanitation workers significantly decreased after ten years' work, which was related to the service time 13 .…”