Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Case Report

High lead exposure in two leaded bronze ingot foundry workers: Yoojun Song, Chunhui Suh, Shin-Ae Kim, Nami Kim, Sung-Min Kim, Seong-Wook Jeong, Se-Yeong Kim, Kun-Hyung Kim, Jeong-Ho Kim, Byung-Chul Son, Chae-Kwan Lee, Jong-Tae Lee; Ann Occup Environ Med 2014;26:38. Published online December 1, 2014; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-014-0038-8

Background

Awareness about lead poisoning in South Korea has increased; however, occupational exposures occurring in small-scale businesses have not been thoroughly investigated. We report two cases of high lead exposure in a leaded bronze ingot foundry.

Case presentation

Two employees, a 54-year-old primary operator and a 46-year-old assistant, at a small-scale metalworking company who had been employed for 18 years and 1 month, respectively, showed elevated blood lead levels (61.1 μg/dL and 51.7 μg/dL, respectively) at an occupational health checkup. Neither worker complained of abnormal symptoms nor signs related to lead poisoning. Health assessment follow-ups were conducted and biological exposure indices of lead were calculated every four weeks. After the initial follow-up assessment, both workers were relocated from the foundry process to the metalworking process. In addition, a localized exhaust system was installed after the second follow-up.

Conclusions

Foundry workers in a small-scale businesses might be at high risk of lead exposure because these businesses might be vulnerable to poor industrial hygiene. Therefore, regular occupational health checkups are required.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Comparison of Blood Lead Levels in Children and Adolescents with and Without Functional Abdominal Pain
Fatemeh Famouri, Maryam Yazdi, Awat Feizii, Hossein Saneian, Peiman Nasri, Roya Kelishadi
Advanced Biomedical Research.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Association Between Blood Lead Level With High Blood Pressure in US (NHANES 1999–2018)
Ziyao Huang
Frontiers in Public Health.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
A systematic review of clinical and laboratory findings of lead poisoning: lessons from case reports
Saeed Samarghandian, Farshad M. Shirazi, Farhad Saeedi, Babak Roshanravan, Ali Mohammad Pourbagher-Shahri, Emad Yeganeh Khorasani, Tahereh Farkhondeh, Jan Olav Aaseth, Mohammad Abdollahi, Omid Mehrpour
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.2021; 429: 115681. CrossRef
Exposure to lead and other toxic metals from informal foundries producing cookware from scrap metal
Renee Anne Street, Walter Goessler, Saloshni Naidoo, Busisiwe Shezi, Nokulunga Cele, Jaqueline Rieger, Karl Ettinger, Tarylee Reddy, Angela Mathee
Environmental Research.2020; 191: 109860. CrossRef
Bayesian network model to diagnose WMSDs with working characteristics
Gilseung Ahn, Sun Hur, Myung-Chul Jung
International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics.2020; 26(2): 336. CrossRef
Challenges in diagnosing lead poisoning: A review of occupationally and nonoccupationally exposed cases reported in India
Monica Shirley Mani, Divyani Gurudas Nayak, Herman Sunil Dsouza
Toxicology and Industrial Health.2020; 36(5): 346. CrossRef
Lead Poisoning at an Indoor Firing Range
Kyung Wook Kang, Won-Ju Park
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2017; 32(10): 1713. CrossRef
Occupational Lead Exposure from Indoor Firing Ranges in Korea
Won-Ju Park, Suk-Ho Lee, Se-Ho Lee, Hye-Sik Yoon, Jai-Dong Moon
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2016; 31(4): 497. CrossRef

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Original Article

Lung Function in Workers at Small Foundries: Se Yeong Kim, Jung Il Kim, Ji Hyeon Jung, Suk Hwan Choi, Kap Yeol Jung; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2011;23(3):317-323. Published online September 30, 2011; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2011.23.3.317

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
This study investigated lung function in workers exposed to dusts, fumes and noxious gases at small foundries.
METHODS
Lung function was measured in 148 male workers from 12 small foundries and 202 unexposed male workers. Pulmonary function tests performed included: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), percent of FEV1/FVC (FEV1/FVC%), maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and forced expiratory flow at 25, 50, and 75% of expired FVC (FEF25, 50, 75).
RESULTS
Mean values of all ventilatory indices except FEF25 of foundry workers were significantly lower than those of controls. Specifically, following stratification by smoking habits, all ventilatory indices except FEF25 of foundry workers were significantly lower than those of controls who smoked; however, there were no significant differences observed in any ventilatory indices between nonsmoking exposed workers and controls. The results of multiple linear regression analysis indicated work duration as a significant predictor of a decrease in FVC%.
CONCLUSIONS
This research indicates that combined occupational exposure to dust, fumes, and gases in small foundries is associated with a reduction in lung function. Smoking may also contribute to respiratory abnormalities. These results suggested that foundry workers should be required to undergo periodic lung function tests and-in addition to not smoking, efficient use of personal protection equipment while at work is recommended.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Cause-Specific Mortality Due to Malignant and Non-Malignant Disease in Korean Foundry Workers
Jin-Ha Yoon, Yeon-Soon Ahn, Suminori Akiba
PLoS ONE.2014; 9(2): e88264. CrossRef
Pulmonary function decline in firefighters and non-firefighters in South Korea
Ju-Hwan Choi, Jae-Hong Shin, Mi-Young Lee, In-Sung Chung
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2014;[Epub] CrossRef

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Case Report

A Case Study of a Foundry Worker with Localized Asbestosis: an Uncommon Occurrence in Korea: Tae Woo Kim, Dong Hee Koh, Min Gi Kim, Seung Won Yoo, Hyang Woo Ryu, Jeong Hee Han, Soon Hee Jung; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2009;21(2):201-208. Published online June 30, 2009; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2009.21.2.201

Abstract PDF

BACKGROUND
Foundry workers are known to be exposed to silica and have an increased risk of silicosis. There are also reports that state these foundry workers were associated with asbestos-related change in the X-ray results of the lungs. This report discusses a case of localized asbestosis developed in a foundry worker who worked in 12 Korean foundries.
CASE
REPORT: A 49-year-old man who worked at molding and melting for 30 years, presented with sore throat, cough and yellow sputum for 1 month. From physical and clinical examination, pulmonary tuberculosis was highly suspicious; therefore, he was medicated for 6 months. After tuberculosis medication, the radiological finding was reactivation of tuberculosis, and an asbestos body was detected at a transbronchial lung biopsy. During an operation, operators found multiple palpable masses and bullae localized in the right upper lobe (RUL) and performed right upper lobectomy and right middle lobe wedge resection. Using hematoxylin-eosin stain and iron stain, we could detect asbestos bodies by light microscopy. We analyzed the asbestos fiber burden in dry lung tissue by transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (TEM-EDX). The fiber type was chrysotile and the fiber burden was 23.26x106 fiber/g dry lung.
DISCUSSION
This case study of a foundry worker with localized asbestosis is uncommon in Korea. We found an occupational relationship between the foundry worker and localized asbestosis through various investigative techniques such as measurements taken at his working environment, clinical, radiological and pathological examination of the foundry worker and mineralogical examination of the asbestos fiber.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Sustainable management of hazardous asbestos-containing materials: Containment, stabilization and inertization
Shiv Bolan, Leela Kempton, Timothy McCarthy, Hasintha Wijesekara, Udara Piyathilake, Tahereh Jasemizad, Lokesh P. Padhye, Tao Zhang, Jörg Rinklebe, Hailong Wang, M.B. Kirkham, Kadambot H.M. Siddique, Nanthi Bolan
Science of The Total Environment.2023; 881: 163456. CrossRef

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Case Report

A Case of Goodpasture's Syndrome in a Foundry Worker: Min Gi Kim, Dong Hee Koh, Sun Wong Lee, Min Heui Jo, Hee Yong Yoo, Bo Yeon Kim, June Hyuk Lee; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2008;20(1):46-53. Published online March 31, 2008; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2008.20.1.46

Abstract PDF

BACKGROUND
Smoking, upper respiratory tract infection, genetic factors and hydrocarbons are known as risk factors of Goodpasture's syndrome. We studied a patient with Goodpasture's syndrome who had worked for 27 years in a foundry company. Based on a study on the work-relatedness of the syndrome, we describe and discuss our study results.
CASE
A 46-year-old man, who had worked as a foundry worker for 27 years and had a 12 1/2 packyear history of smoking cigarettes, was admitted into a hospital on 15th February 2006 with coughing, chest pain and dyspnea. On admission, he had hematuria, proteinuria, severe restrictive pulmonary function disorder and rapid elevation of blood urea nitrogen/creatinine. Immunological examination showed ANA (+), ANCA (-) and Anti-GBM Ab (+). Kidney biopsy showed pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis. Mild bleeding was revealed through bronchoscopy and no vasculitis and granuloma were present on at lung biopsy. Finally, we diagnosed the worker's illness as Goodpasture's syndrome and carried out hemodialysis and plasmapheresis. In the workplace survey, the exposure level of respirable crystalline silica exceeded the TLV-TWA (0.0106 mg/m3), which was calibrated for overtime.
CONCLUSION
Based on both the clinical test and industrial hygiene examination, we concluded that the Goodpasture's syndrome in this case was caused by long-term silica exposure.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Cause-Specific Mortality Due to Malignant and Non-Malignant Disease in Korean Foundry Workers
Jin-Ha Yoon, Yeon-Soon Ahn, Suminori Akiba
PLoS ONE.2014; 9(2): e88264. CrossRef
Goodpasture’s Syndrome and p-ANCA Associated Vasculitis in a Patient of Silicosiderosis: An Unusual Association
Amanjit Bal, Ashim Das, Dheeraj Gupta, Mandeep Garg
Case Reports in Pulmonology.2014; 2014: 1. CrossRef
Goodpasture's Syndrome and Silica: A Case Report and Literature Review
James Dahlgren, Marla Wardenburg, Trevor Peckham
Case Reports in Medicine.2010; 2010: 1. CrossRef

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Original Article

The Effect of Silica Dust on Ventilatory Function in Foundry Workers: Jung Wan Koo, Kyoung Ah Kim, Chee Kyung Chung; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1998;10(1):94-104. Published online February 28, 1998; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1998.10.1.94

Abstract PDF: In order to study the exposure level of silica dust and the effects of silica dust on ventilatory function, respirable dust samples were collected by personal air samplers using NIOSH method 0500 from the selected foundry operations, and ventilatory function tests were performed on 209 male foundry workers and 239 male control subjects. Ventilatory indices such as forced vital capacity (FVC) , one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1), ratio of FEV1 to FVC(FEV1 %), maximal mid-expiratory flow(MMF), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and maximal expiratory flow at 25, 50 and 75 % of expired FVC (FEF25, FEF50, FEF75 were obtained by analyzing forced expiratory spirogram and maximal expiratory flow-volume curve which were simultaneously measured by Vitalography in standing position. The results were as follows : 1. The average quartz concentrations of respirable dust were the highest in melting operation (0.079 mg/m3) and followed by molding operation (0.051 mg/m3), finishing operation (0.041 mg/m3) and coremaking operation (0.023 mg/m3) in the descending order. 2. No significant differences for mean values of all ventilatory indices expressed as percent of predicted value were demonstrated between smokers and nonsmokers In foundry workers and control subjects. 3. Mean values of all ventilatory indices except FVC of foundry workers were significantly lower than those of control subjects. 4. Mean values of FEV1 %, MMF, FEF25, FEF50 and FEF75 expressed as percent of predicted value tended to decrease with increasing cumulative dust exposure. 5. In foundry workers, proportions of workers with low MMF, FEF50 and FEF75 were markedly higher than those with other indices, and were significantly increased with increasing cumulative dust exposure. 6. In foundry workers, 2 workers(1.0 %) were diagnosed as silicosis and the profusion of radiographic opacities were category 1/0 and q type. With the above considerations in mind, it suggested that increasing exposure of silica dust be associated with progressive deterioration in ventilatory function of an obstructive nature and that MMF, FEF50 and FEF75 be more sensitive indices in the detection of the early obstructive changes of air flow of workers exposed to silica dust.

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