Effect Of Exposure To Resin Sand And Smoking On Workers' Lung Function And Psychological State

During the process of resin sand casting, it produces not only dust, but also furfuryl alcohol and other occupational hazards. The aims of this study were to explore the combined effects on workers' health.Objective Workers exposed to resin sand were served as dust and toxin group; workers exposed to clay sand were as dust group; and the unexposed workers from a metallurgical mill were as controls. The three groups were matched for the intensity of labor age, work-yean, body height, body weight, smoking-year and smoking consumption.Methods All the workers were investigated by questionnaire to collect information on their health status. FVC, FEV₁.0, FEV₁.0/FVC, and MMEF were measured with lung function meter. Statistical analysis was performed with F-test and t-test.Results and Discussion Environment concentrations of dust and toxicants had been monitoring from 1996 to 2001. In the resin sand worksite, 104dust samples, 98 furfuryl alcohol samples and 18 SiO₂ content samples were tested. The dust concentration ranged from 0.4mg/m³ to 3.4mg/m³ and the geometric mean was 2.49mg/m³. The furfuryl alcohol concentration ranged from 2.7mg/m³ to 18mg/m³ and the geometric mean was 11.3mg/m³. SiO₂ content ranged from 87.9% to 92.3% and the arithmetic mean was 89.7%. In the clay sand workplace, 87 dust samples and 8 SiO₂ content samples were tested. The dust concentration was from 1.5mg/m³ to 7.8mg/m³ and the geometric mean was 3.1mg/m³. SiO₂ content ranged from 85.7% to 91.3% and the arithmetic mean was 88.5%.During the process of foundry, traditional clay sand mainly produces dust while resin sand produces dust, furfuryl alcohol and other occupational hazards. Compared the dust-exposure group with the controls, it showed that smoking mainly lead to increase of irritation in the respiratory tract, such as cough and expectoration; and dust could increase the positive rate of pulmonary ventilation, such as chest tightness and shortness of breath. Compared the non-smoking exposed to dust and toxicants with non-smoking dust-exposed, there were significant differences (P<0.05) in all symptoms except for expectoration. It showed that furfuryl alcohol mainly increased the positive rates of respiratory symptoms in clouding cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath. In the observed group of smoking exposed to dust and toxicants, the positive rates of respiratory symptoms all in creased that indicated there was a synergistic effect of dust, furfuryl alcohol and smoking on respiratory symptoms. Although the monitored concentrations of toxicant and dust in air were low, respiratory symptoms occurring significantly in the observed group showed that the combinedeffects of dust, toxicants and smoking on respiratory system should not be neglected.FVC, FEVi.o, MMEV and FEVi.o/FVC of the smoking and non-smoking dust-exposed were significantly lower than those of the smoking and non-smoking controls, respectively. It showed the effects of foundry dust on lung function.Compared smokers with non-smokers in the three groups, there were significant differences (P<0.05) which indicated that smoking had effects on lung function and there was a synergistic effect of smoking with dust-exposure or smoking with dust and toxicants exposure. Compared the non-smoking dust and toxicants exposed with the non-smoking dust exposed, there were significant differences (PO.05) which indicated that furfuryl alcohol had effects on puhnonary ventilation and was a synergistic effect of furfuryl alcohol and dust on pulmonary ventilation.In conclusion, smoking, dust and furfuryl alcohol could induce separate or synergistic effect on respiratory symptoms and puhnonary ventilation. In order to protect workers exposed to resin sand, effective measures should be taken to reduce concentrations of dust and toxin in the air in the workplace, the exposed workers should cut down or stop smoking to reduce its synergistic effect with resin sand.