Investigation Of The Damage Of Nasal Septum Of Electroplating Workers

Background and objective:there are a lot of electroplate corporations in Jian de city, which are of small size, outdated equipments and poor safeguards. The platers (most of them are Migrant workers) are always on moving, they are poor educated and don't pay attention to the importance of safeguard so that their nasal cavity been damaged during working. The purpose of this research is to understand the pollution of the chrome of the platers in Jian de city and look for the way how to deal with the problem. Secondly, the pollution of the chrome can not be reflected by the total Chromium which measured from the air of the workplace. We take the way of monitoring the total chromium by collecting nasal lavage. Finally, if the harm of Hexavalent chromium compounds is widely accepted by human being, it would be emphasized that the importance of revaluing the health risks of the workers who contact with low concentrations of chromium salts.Materials and methods:The investigated workers contained 36 workers who contacting with chrome in two galvanization enterprise of Jiande. Monitoring the concentration of the chrome in the workplace:we used 79-4 dust sampling meter to monitor the breaths of the workers after Chromium work for 2 hours, with double-decked filter diaphragm detention gathering sample 150L. The samples were quantitatively determinated with the benzoin carbonyl two jing electricity color method. Epidemiology investigation:by designing the form of questionnaire survey which including name, sex, age, seniority, and academy degree; history of occupational exposure, history of tobacco and alcohol, individual safeguard such as wearing the respirator, the glove and so on. Production enterprise work hygiene investigation, including technique of production flow, safeguard measure and so on. Individual occupational hygiene and safeguard consciousness:for example, using personal protective articles, the custom of digging the nose and so on. Physical examination of Chromium contactors and nasal chromium level of contamination measure:the later may be collected from nasal lavage. PPD, Syphilis antibodies in serum, nasal sinus CT, Nasal biopsy were used to exclude the possibile diseases which may cause the injury of nasal septum. Red blood cell chromium content was checked to reflect the low dose six price chromium which contacted recently.Results:1 The chromium concentration and time of work place conformed to meet the national standards2 Most of the workers are mirgant, low educated (junior middle school and below account for 88.9%), their safegurard consciousnes was poor (94.4%do not wear respirator)3 Erosion of nasal septum(11),nasal septum ulcer (5) and nasal septum perforation(3) were found, PPD, Syphilis serologyly were negative, the 3 people who suffer from nasal septum perforation underwent the nasal biopsy to exclude the specificity infection and other pathological changes.4 Comparing the total chromium of nasal lavage of the chromium contact group with the control group, it was significnt difference, P<0.055. RBC chromium content(5.16μg) of the chromium contact group was obviously higher than the normal(0.5μg).Conclusion:1 Chromium-contacted worker had more serious disease of nose2 Nasal lavage may be replace the individual sampling3 Red blood cell chromium content may reflect that the low-dose hexavalent chromium recently...