Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Research Article

Emphysema prevalence related air pollution caused by a cement plant: Hyun Seung Lee, Chul Gab Lee, Dong Hun Kim, Han Soo Song, Min Soo Jung, Jae Yoon Kim, Choong Hee Park, Seung Chul Ahn, Seung Do Yu; Ann Occup Environ Med 2016;28:17. Published online April 7, 2016; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-016-0101-8

Background

To identify adverse pulmonary health effects due to air pollution derived from a cement plant in Korea. The emphysema prevalence in residents around a cement plant was compared to that in the group who live far away from the plant by chest films (PA and lateral view) and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) lung images.

Methods

From June to August in 2013 and from August to November in 2014, chest films and HRCT scan were conducted on residents over the age of 40 who lived around a cement plant. The residents were divided into two groups; a “more exposed group (MEG)” which consisted of 1,046 people who lived within a 1 km radius and a “less exposed group (LEG)” which consisted of 317 people who lived more than 5 km away from the same plant. We compared the emphysema prevalence and estimated the OR of this between the MEG and the LEG by using a chi-square and logistic regression on chest films and HRCT.

Results

The emphysema prevalence was 9.1 % in the LEG, 14.3 % in the MEG on chest films and 11.4 %, 17.8 % on the HRCT, respectively. The OR of the emphysema prevalence in MEG was 2.92 (95 % CI 1.77-4.83) on the chest films, 2.56 (95 % CI 1.64–3.99) on the HRCT after sex, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking history, residency period and firewood used history were adjusted. The OR in the less than 29 pack-years smoking history was 1.66 (95 % CI 0.92–3.06) and in the more than 30 pack-years was 3.05 (95 % CI 1.68–5.52) on the chest films, and was 1.68 (95 % CI 0.98–2.90), 2.93 (95 % CI 1.72–4.98) on the HRCT, respectively.

Conclusion

The emphysema prevalence seems to be affected by the level of exposure to air pollution derived from the cement plant as well as sex, age, BMI, and smoking history in this study. Moreover, the OR of the case of the more exposed to the air pollution was similar to that of the case in smoking.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Assessing heavy metal contamination and health risks in playground dust near cement factory: exposure levels in children
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Residential Proximity to Biorefinery Sources of Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases in New York State
Eun Kyung Lee, Xiaobo Xue Romeiko, Wangjian Zhang, Beth J. Feingold, Haider A. Khwaja, Xuesong Zhang, Shao Lin
Environmental Science & Technology.2021; 55(14): 10035. CrossRef
Space-Borne Monitoring of NOx Emissions from Cement Kilns in South Korea
Hyun Cheol Kim, Changhan Bae, Minah Bae, Okgil Kim, Byeong-Uk Kim, Chul Yoo, Jinsoo Park, Jinsoo Choi, Jae-bum Lee, Barry Lefer, Ariel Stein, Soontae Kim
Atmosphere.2020; 11(8): 881. CrossRef
Planning of cement plants for environmentally friendly production: a fuzzy-weighted stochastic multi-objective model
E. Bakhtavar, R. Lotfian, R. Sadiq, K. Hewage
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Epidemiology.2018; 29(3): 333. CrossRef
Exposure assessment of particulate matter and blood chromium levels in people living near a cement plant
Sung Ho Hwang, Jae Bum Park, Kyung Jong Lee
Environmental Geochemistry and Health.2018; 40(4): 1237. CrossRef
Hexavalent chromium and some trace metals in concrete from buildings of different ages in northern Italy
Eric Costeri, Giovanni Martinelli, Giampaolo Sighinolfi, Lorenzo Tassi, Paolo Zannini
Environmental Earth Sciences.2016;[Epub] CrossRef
Air pollution and urinary n-acetyl-B-glucosaminidase levels in residents living near a cement plant
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Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2016;[Epub] CrossRef

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Original Article

Imaging Findings among Retired Workers Who Were Long-term Exposed to Asbestos : Lung and Pleural Diseases Prevalence on Chest Radiograph and HRCT: Ki Nam Kim, Jung Il Kim, Ki Nam Lee, Kap Yeol Jung, Joon Youn Kim; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2006;18(2):87-93. Published online June 30, 2006; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2006.18.2.87

Abstract PDF

PURPOSE
To determine imaging findings among retired workers who were long-term exposed to asbestos. Lung and pleural diseases prevalence were studied on chest radiograph and HRCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen workers who were long-term exposedto asbestos occupationally in shipyards were examined by chest radiographs (PA and lateral view) and HRCT (high-resolution computed tomography).
RESULTS
In 12 of 18 subjects (66.7%), asbestos-related pleural abnormalities were evident in diaphragmatic, lateral chest wall and costophrenic angle of the pleura on chest radiographs. The thickness of pleural plaques at the lateral chest wall varied. Diffuse pleural thickening was evident in 2 workers. Parenchymal abnormalities were not found on chest radiographs. On HRCT, pleural thickening wasobserved in 16 of 18 subjects (88.9%), in the areas of juxtavertebral, diaphragmatic, anterior, lateral, mediastinal and fissural pleura. Curvilinear subpleural lines representing early parenchymal asbestosis were found in the lower posterior lung in three of 18 subjects (16.7%).
CONCLUSIONS
In long term asbestos-exposed workers, the asbestos-related pleural disease was 66.7% on chest radiographs and 88.9% on HRCT. The authors suggest that this group should be followed up periodically

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Compensation and Diagnosis of Asbestos Related Disease
Soo-Geun Kim
Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2009; 30(5): 335. CrossRef

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Original Article

Usefulness of High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) in the Diagnosis of Asbestos-Related Lung Diseases: Hyun Jae Lee, Ji Eun Son, Young Seoub Hong, Young Ill Lee, Byung Jin Yeah, Chang Hun You, Kap Yeol Jung, Sang Hoon Kim, Hyoung June Im, Eun Chul Jang, Jung Man Kim, Joon Youn Kim; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2006;18(2):112-122. Published online June 30, 2006; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2006.18.2.112

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
This study was carried out to improve the medical surveillance program of workers exposed to asbestos by examining the usefulness of High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) in the diagnosis of asbestos-related lung disease.
METHODS
The study subjects comprised 162 workers in a ship-repairing yard, 68 of whom had been directly exposed to asbestos and 94 indirectly exposed. The 'Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) asbestos standard, medical surveillance program' and HRCT were conducted to analyze the aspects of the asbestos-related lung disease. The OSHA asbestos standard, medical surveillance program consists of simple chest x-ray, spirometry and medical questionnaire.
RESULTS
Seventeen (10.5%) of the 162 subjects, 10 (14.7%) directly exposed and 7 (7.4%) indirectly exposed, revealed asbestos-related lung disease on HRCT. The sensitivity and specificity of simple chest x-ray for asbestos-related lung disease were 70.6% and 98.6%, and the positive and negative predictive values were 85.7% and 96.6% respectively, as compared with HRCT. HRCT was an effective diagnostic tool especially to detect early asbestos-related lung disease. The study results indicated a relative significant association between the results of spirometry and HRCT. The variables significantly associated with asbestos-related lung disease on HRCT were work duration, smoking history (pack-years), past history of respiratory disease, cough and dyspnea.
CONCLUSIONS
In the diagnosis of asbestos-related lung disease, HRCT should be considered not only for workers with positive findings on simple chest x-ray, but also workers with specific findings on spirometry, occupational history, smoking history, and past history of respiratory disease, or with respiratory symptoms such as cough and dyspnea.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Radiologic Diagnosis of Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer
Yoon Kyung Kim, Jeung Sook Kim, Yookyung Kim
Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology.2015; 73(6): 347. CrossRef

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Original Article

Pneumonitis by Methylene Chloride: Kyu jin Chang, Jong tae Park, Eun kyoung Kim, Byoung gwon Kim, Hae joon Kim; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2005;17(4):365-371. Published online December 31, 2005; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2005.17.4.365

Abstract PDF: OBJECTIVES
The authors report a case of pneumonitis caused by methylene chloride (MC).
METHODS
The patient was examined and diagnosed by clinical, radiologic, laboratorial and medical evaluation. The concentration of MC in the factory was measured to determine the exposure level.
RESULTS
The patient had an infiltration in chest X-ray, which underwent rapid relief of radiological finding, respiratory acidosis and hypoxemia in arterial blood gas analysis, and a ground-glass opacity in high resolution computerized tomography. MC was the only exposed chemical compound in this case. The concentration of MC was 39.9 ppm in the factory.
CONCLUSIONS
We diagnosed this to be a case of pneumonitis by MC based on clinical laboratory findings, exposure history to MC and MC concentration in the factory.

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