No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Mass Screening* ; Rural Health*

This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of improvement in work environment and of segregation in a fluorescent lamp manufacturing factory. Among the total of 80 workers, 8 workers whose mercury concentration in urine reached a hazardous level (200-299 microgram/l) were moved to mercury free workplace. The follow-up examination for their mercury concentration in urine was done three times; on May 3, 1988, September 1, 1988 and April 3, 1989. The results were as follows: 1. Mercury concentration in the air was reduced from 0.140 to 0.107 mg/m3 in 4 months, and to 0.087 mg/m3 in one year after environmental improvement in workplace. However the level still exceeded the Threshold Limit Value. 2. The geometric mean of urinary mercury concentration among 80 workers was 173.0 microgram/l (5.1~458.6 microgram/l). The distribution of workers according to urinary mercury concentration showed that 9 workers (11.2%) were above the mercury poisoning level (300 microgram/l), 24 workers (30.0%) were 200-299 microgram/l, 35 workers (43.8%) were 50-199 microgram/l, and 12 workers (15.0%) were below 50 microgram/l. 3. Among the 24 workers whose urinary mercury concentration was 200-299 microgram/l, 8 were able to be followed up. Their mean urinary mercury concentration before segregation was 244.9 microgram/l, but decreased to 151.4 microgram/l in four months, 128.8 microgram/l in six months, and 46.8 microgram/l in one year after segregation.
Follow-Up Studies ; Mercury Poisoning

In order to study the correlation of ambient toluene and xylene exposure with their biological monitoring indices, we measured the concentration of toluene and xylene in the workplace. We also measured their biological monitoring indices of workers from August to November in 1994. The exposed group consisted of 103 male workers and the non-exposed group consisted of 34 male workers. The ambient concentration of toluene was 44.7 +/-55.4 ppm and that of xylene was 2.35+/-2.15 ppm. The urinary concentration of hippuric acid in exposed group was 1.72+/-1.53 g/g creatinine and that of non-exposed group was 0.34+/-0.28 g/g creatinine. The difference was statistically significant between two groups (p<.0.001). The urinary concentration of o-cresol in exposed group was 692.9+/-710.8 ug/g creatinine and that of non-exposed group was 184.7+/-167.6 microgram/g creatinine. The difference was also statistically significant between two groups (p<0.001). The urinary concentration of methylhippuric acid which was compensated with urinary creatinine in I exposed group was 62. 7+/-104.6 mg/g creatinine and that of non-exposed group was 64.0+91.5 mg/g creatinine. However the difference was not statistically significant between two groups (p>0.05). When compensated with urinary creatinine, the correlation coefficient of ambient toluene with urinary hippuric acid and ocresol were 0.63(p=0.0001) and 0.65(p=0.0001), respectively. When compensated with urinary specific gravity, the correlation coefficient of ambient toluene with hippuric acid and ocresol were 0.525 (p=0.0001) and 0.547 (p=0. 0001), respectively. The compensation method using urinary creatinine provided a higher correlation coefficient. We could not find any statistically significant differences between the duration of work and other variables (urinary hippuric acid, o-cresol and methylhippuric acid). In order to monitor biological indices of toluene-exposed workers, we suggest the measurement of urinary hippuric acid rather than o-cresol. As the compensation method, we suggest to use urinary creatinine rather than urinary specific gravity.
Compensation and Redress ; Creatinine ; Environmental Monitoring* ; Humans ; Male ; Specific Gravity ; Toluene* ; Xylenes*

In this study, we measured the activity of the erythrocyte pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase(P5N) for 83 workers exposed to lead in their workplace, and analyzed the correlation of the activity with other biological exposure indices of lead. The measurement was performed by using a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a reverse phased ODS column. The results are as follows; 1. The correlation of the erythrocyte P5N activity with the concentration of blood lead(PbB) was shown to be statistically significant (r=-0.71, p=0.0001). 2. For a group of subjects whose PbB was less than 10microgram/dl, the erythrocyte P5N activity was 14.9+/-1.5 micromole uridine/h/g Hb. 3. For medical surveillance, this study suggests the erythrocyte P5N activity of 12 micromole uridine/h/g Hb is equivalent to 40 microgram/dl of PbB. 4. The correlation coefficients of the erythrocyte P5N activity with other biological exposure indices of lead such as PbB, ZPP, ALA-U, PBU, CP-U, ALAD, and log ALAD were -0.71, -0.64, -0.57, -0.51, -0.50, 0.46 and 0.64, respectively. 5. The correlation coefficients of the PbB with other biological exposure indices of lead for ALAD, P5N, ZPP, PBU, CP-U, and ALA-U were -0.76, -0.71, 0.68, 0.59, 0.42, and 0.41, respectively. The erythrocyte P5N activity can be used as a reliable biological exposure index of lead.
5'-Nucleotidase* ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Erythrocytes*

OBJECTIVES: Cancer is the second most frequent cause of death in Korea. Cancer screening tests can save lives through early detection. Enhancing the cancer screening rate is an important strategy for reducing cancer mortality. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the screening rate and related factors in a rural area. The study investigated relationships between sociodemographic characteristics, several preventive behaviors, and the experience of several cancer screening behaviors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population was recruited voluntarily from the three rural areas(Myen) in Chungju city. The participants completed structured questionnaire from July 21, 1998 to July 26, 1998. RESULTS: The proportions of the study population who had previously received stomach, liver, breast, or cervix cancer screening tests were 24.5%, 18.5%, 27.0%, 59.2% respectively. The 1-year screening rates of stomach, liver, breast, and cervix cancer were 7.4%, 6.8%, 8.6%, 15.6% respectively. In multivariate logistic analysis, some sociodemographic variables, preventive behaviors, or psychological variables were significantly associated with several cancer screening tests. Those who had previously received a stomach cancer screening test were significantly associated with the presence of chronic disease, physician? recommendation, use of alcohol family history of cancer, or previous liver cancer screening test. Those who had previously received a liver cancer screening test were associated with education level, physician? recommendation and previous stomach cancer screening test. Those who had received a cervix cancer screening test were significantly associated with education level, presence of a transportation vehicle, physician? recommendation use of alcohol and previous breast cancer screening test. And those who had received a previous breast cancer screening test were significantly associated with age, marital status, and earlier cervix cancer screening test. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study a strategy to promote cancer screening and health objectives at the district level can be made.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cause of Death ; Chronic Disease ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Early Detection of Cancer* ; Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Liver Neoplasms ; Marital Status ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Transportation ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

According to law the employer who has over 50 workers in his enterprise should employ an occupational physician as industrial health manager. The main role of the occupational physician is emphasized to the prevention of occupational diseases rather than the treatment and he should be the team leader of industrial health personnel. But this ideal system in terms of stipulations has lots of problems in operation. Therefore this study was designed to prove the attitude of reception, real condition and work content of the occupational physician in enterprise. The survey was done in 500 stratified random sampled enterprises over the country from July through September in 1987 by mailing questionnaire. As a result of the response from 145 enterprises, more than 85% of enterprise displaced occupational physicians. Among the occupational physicians 43% of them has no allowance for their working as industrial health managers and are payed less than 100,000 won monthly. And 66% of them visited only once a month or none enterprise, where they were nominated as a occupational physician managers. The major work content of occupational physician was doing outpatient clinic or regular physical examination rather than prevention of occupational disease. And it shows a deep discrepancy with the object of law or the expect of enterprise in which industrial hygiene and health education are more stressed for prevention of occupational diseases. The most of industrial workers showed no interest in work of occupational physician. As a conclusion, the current system of industrial health manager has maintained on paper formally and is apt to fall into making outward show. It is urgent for government and enterprise to find a solution which can be practically used the system of occupational physician. The work content of occupational physician is required high advanced knowledge and experience, and it should be operated dual system by special field and nonspecial field.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Health Education ; Jurisprudence ; Korea* ; Occupational Diseases ; Occupational Health ; Physical Examination ; Postal Service ; Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to evaluate correlation between the levels of hippuric acid in blood plasma (HAP) and those of toluene concentration in the workplace air. METHODS: Study subjects were composed of two groups; 21 workers who were occupationally exposed to toluene and 25 rural-area residents who were not exposed to any known occupational toluene source, as an exposed group and a reference group, respectively. Mean age and work duration of the exposed was 42 years and five years, respectively. Mean age of the reference was 42 years. To determine toluene concentrations in the workplace air, air sampling has been conducted for more than six hours using a personal sampler, and analyzed by a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. Concentrations of hippuric acid in biological samples were determined by a high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector. RESULTS: Geometric mean(geometric standard deviation) of HAP and hippuric acid in urine(HAU) for the exposed was 1.39(2.21) mg/L and 2.77(1.46) g/L, respectively, which were significantly different from those of the reference [HAP, 0.45(2.94); HAU, 0.37(0.45)]. Toluene concentration in the workplace air was 86.92(range: 45.18~151.23) ppm. The level of HAP or HAU was significantly correlated (r=0.70 and r=0.63, respectively) with that of toluene in the workplace air. The estimated regression equation was logHAP(mg/L)=-3.60+1.93 log(toluene, ppm) or logHAU(g/L)=-0.85+0.67 log(toluene, ppm). The magnitude of correlation was further enhanced when analyzing relationship between toluene concentrations lower than 100 ppm and its corresponding HAP levels. CONCLUSION: Overall, plasma hippuric acid levels were well correlated with toluene concentrations in the workplace air, and a statistically significant correlation was observed for the samples with toluene concentration lower than 100 ppm.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Humans ; Occupations ; Plasma* ; Toluene*

The purpose of this study is to present the importance of work-related cerebrovascular and heart disease from the viewpoint of expenses. Using the insurance benefit paid for the 4,300 cases, this study estimated the burden of insurance benefits spent on work-related cerebrovascular and heart disease. The number of cases with work-related cerebrovascular and heart disease per 100,000 insured workers were 3.36 in 1995; they were increased to 13.16 in 2000. By the days of occurrence, the estimated number of cases were 1,336 in 2001 (95% CI: 1,211-1,460 cases) and 1,769 in 2005 (CI: 1,610-1,931 cases). The estimated average insurance benefits paid per person with work-related cerebrovascular and heart disease was 75-19 million won for medical care benefit and 56 million won for other benefits except medical care. By considering the increase in insurance payment and average pay, the predicted insurance benefits for work-related cerebrovascular and heart disease was 107.9 billion won for the 2001 cohort and 192.4 billion won for the 2005 cohort. From an economic perspective, the results will be used as important evidence for the prevention and management of work-related cerebrovascular and heart disease.
*Accidents ; *Accidents, Occupational ; Brain Diseases/epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Compensation and Redress ; Costs and Cost Analysis ; Heart Diseases/epidemiology ; Human ; *Insurance Benefits ; Insurance Coverage ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Models, Statistical ; *Occupational Health ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Time Factors ; *Workers' Compensation

OBJECTIVE: This paper examines the possible toxicity to immune system in farmers chronically exposed to pesticides. METHODS: We compared 43 male farmers exposed to pesticides with 29 male residents who had neither past nor current pesticides exposure. The selected variables for studying immunotoxicity were WBC, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD56, IgG, IgA, IgM, and IL-2. As part of the baseline questionnaires for the immunotoxicity, subjects were asked about kinds of farming, pesticides exposure and medical history. RESULTS: None of the variables for studying immunotoxicity showed statistically significant difference between the two groups. Although the results were not statistically significant, CD4 and the CD4/CD8 ratio decreased and CD8 increased. These effects showed a dose response change with exposure level. In the exposed group, the values of CD3, CD4, CD4/CD8 and CD19 decreased and those of the CD8 and CD56 increased compared to the non-exposed group. Also there was higher prevalence of self-reported disease in the exposed group compared to the non-exposed group. CONCLUSIONS: Although statistically significant differences in indices of immunotoxicity in farmers exposed to pesticides were not shown, the results suggest that pesticides may decrease immune function. More advanced test methods for immunotoxicity need to be developed and tested in larger population to detect immunotoxic effects of pesticides.
Humans ; Immune System ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Interleukin-2 ; Male ; Pesticides* ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires