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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Eniko-Iudita Viragh, Occupational Medicine, Tg.Mures University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 38 Gh.Marinescu Street, Tg.Mures, 540 000, Romania, +40 264 570 932, judy_khi@yahoo.com and Hajnalka Viragh, Laboratory(volunteering), Rehabilitation Hospital, Floresti Ave 79/52, Cluj-Napoca, 400 516, Romania.

Background: In non-ferrous metallurgy the workers are exposed to the cumulative effect of noxious metal compounds, mainly to high levels of lead. As health effects we can observe in them neuro-vegetative, cardio-vascular, digestive, anemic and pseudo-rheumatic disorders. Aims: This epidemiological study was performed to find out the incidence of cardio-vascular disturbances in workers exposed to lead and in non-exposed ones. Materials/methods: Retrospective air monitoring (RAM) in five workplaces was done during a 10-yr period. Two groups of workers, exposed and non-exposed, each of 614 workers underwent the medical and laboratory examinations, as well as an epidemiological questionnaire (for detecting the non-professional data implicated in cardio-vascular disorders). The cardio-vascular disturbances were evaluated in relation with the exposure, as well as with the “confounding” factors. Results: RAM in all workplaces revealed high values of lead, as the indicators of exposure and the indicators of the biological effects have shown. 32% of cardio-vascular disorders (17% of conductance type, 12% of rhythm type and 3% of ischemic disturbances) were found in exposed workers, significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to the incidence of 7% of cardio-vascular disorders found in non-exposed workers. Evaluating the “confounders” with the Comparative Score Method, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups. Conclusions: 1.-Long-term exposures to lead above the maximum admissible concentrations determine a high incidence of cardio-vascular disorders in the exposed workers. 2.-It is advised to reduce the levels of exposures to lead in all workplaces, as well as to educate the workers to stop smoking and drinking.

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