Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Case Report

A Case of Occupational Asthma in a Plastic Injection Process Worker: Jong Suk Lee, Hyun Seok Kwak, Byung Soon Choi, So Young Park; Ann Occup Environ Med 2013;25:25-25. Published online October 22, 2013; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2052-4374-25-25

Objectives

We report a case of death due to asthma attack in a plastic injection process worker with a history of asthma.

Methods

To assess task relevance, personal history including occupational history and medical records were reviewed. Samples of the substances utilized in the injection process were collected by visiting the patient’s workplace. The work environment with the actual process was reproduced in the laboratory, and the released substances were evaluated.

Results

The medical records confirmed that the patient’s conventional asthma was in remission. The analysis of the resins discharged from the injection process simulation revealed styrene, which causes occupational asthma, and benzenepropanoic acid, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxy-, and octadecyl ester. Even though it was not the case in the present study, various harmful substances capable of inducing asthma such as formaldehyde, acrolein, and acetic acid are released during resin processing.

Conclusion

A worker was likely to occur occupational asthma as a result of the exposure to the harmful substances generated during the plastic injection process.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Education in plastics manufacturing: Aluminum mold making and injection molding
Robert Kelley Bradley
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education.2022; 50(3): 726. CrossRef
Plastic toys and child care articles as a source of children exposure to phthalates and other plasticisers in Saudi Arabia
Mohammed D. Y. Oteef, Mustafa S. Elhassan
International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry.2022; 102(16): 4316. CrossRef
Non‐malignant respiratory disease among workers in the rubber manufacturing industry: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Nirmala Thapa, Suzanne E. Tomasi, Jean M. Cox‐Ganser, Randall J. Nett
American Journal of Industrial Medicine.2019; 62(5): 367. CrossRef
Respiratory exposure with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene particle in appliance company workers
H. Saeedabadi, A. Nikpey
The Journal of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences .2018; 22(1): 41. CrossRef
Exposures during industrial 3-D printing and post-processing tasks
Sonette Du Preez, Alyson Johnson, Ryan F. LeBouf, Stephanus J.L. Linde, Aleksandr B. Stefaniak, Johan Du Plessis
Rapid Prototyping Journal.2018; 24(5): 865. CrossRef
Non‐malignant respiratory disease among workers in industries using styrene—A review of the evidence
Randall J. Nett, Jean M. Cox‐Ganser, Ann F. Hubbs, Avima M. Ruder, Kristin J. Cummings, Yuh‐Chin T. Huang, Kathleen Kreiss
American Journal of Industrial Medicine.2017; 60(2): 163. CrossRef
Characterization of chemical contaminants generated by a desktop fused deposition modeling 3-dimensional Printer
Aleksandr B. Stefaniak, Ryan F. LeBouf, Jinghai Yi, Jason Ham, Timothy Nurkewicz, Diane E. Schwegler-Berry, Bean T. Chen, J. Raymond Wells, Matthew G. Duling, Robert B. Lawrence, Stephen B. Martin, Alyson R. Johnson, M. Abbas Virji
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.2017; 14(7): 540. CrossRef
Effects of high occupational physical activity, aging, and exercise on heart rate variability among male workers
Dongmug Kang, Youngki Kim, Jongeun Kim, Yongsik Hwang, Byungmann Cho, Taekjong Hong, Byungmok Sung, Yonghwan Lee
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2015;[Epub] CrossRef

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Original Article

Characteristics of Occupational Lung Cancer from 1999 to 2005: Jung Wook Lim, So Young Park, Byung Soon Choi; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2010;22(3):230-239. Published online September 30, 2010; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2010.22.3.230

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of occupational lung cancer.
METHODS
We analyzed the characteristics of 53 occupational lung cancer cases among 128 lung cancer cases applied for industrial accident compensation insurance benefits and referred for the decision of work-relatedness between 1999 and 2005. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Chi-square test on 128 lung cancer cases.
RESULTS
The age of diagnosis, smoking history, and cell type of lung cancer cases were not significantly different between 53 cases of occupational lung cancer and 75 cases of non-occupational lung cancer (p>.05). Here is a list of occupational lung cancer case numbers associated with certain carcinogens were: 33(62.3%) cases with asbestos, 23(43.4%) cases with polycyclic aromatic hydro carbon (PAH), 17 cases(32.1%) with chromium VI (Oxidation state), 14 cases(26.4%) with crystalline silica, 12 cases (22.6%) with nickel compounds, 2 cases(3.8%) with radon daughters, and 1 case(1.9%) with arsenic. Eighteen cases(34.0%) of occupational lung cancer had exposures to a single carcinogen, and 35 cases (66.0%) had exposures to more than 2 carcinogens. Job types associated with occupational lung cancer cases were: 16 cases(30.2%) with maintenance, 13 cases(24.5%) with welding; 6 cases(11.3%) with grinding; 4 cases(7.5%) with foundry; 3 cases(5.7%) with driving, casting, and painting' and 14 cases (26.4%) with 'other'.
CONCLUSIONS
This study identified the characteristics of occupational lung cancer through the analysis of the age of diagnosis, smoking history, cell type, job, and carcinogen. There is no difference between occupational lung cancer and non-occupational lung cancer except exposure to the carcinogens. these results indicate that past exposure to occupational carcinogens remains an important determinant of occupational lung cancer occurrence.

Citations

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A Basic Study for Removal of Heavy Metal Elements from Wastewater using Spent Lithium-Aluminum-Silicate(LAS) Glass Ceramics
Min-Seok Go, Jei-Pil Wang
Resources Recycling.2022; 31(4): 49. CrossRef
Overview of occupational cancer in painters in Korea
Jun-Pyo Myong, Younmo Cho, Min Choi, Hyoung-Ryoul Kim
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2018;[Epub] CrossRef
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
Compensation for Occupational Cancer
Inah Kim, Eun-A Kim, Jae Young Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2014; 29(Suppl): S40. CrossRef
Occupational Cancers with Chemical Exposure and their Prevention in Korea: A Literature Review
Kyung-Taek Rim
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention.2013; 14(6): 3379. CrossRef

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Case Report

A Case of Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome in a Synthetic Resin Manufacture Factory: So Young Park, Jong Seong Lee, Boo Wook Kim, Joung Oh Lee, Kyu Chul Park, Byung Soon Choi; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2008;20(4):372-378. Published online December 31, 2008; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2008.20.4.372

Abstract PDF: BACKGROUND
Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), which represents between 5% and 18% of new-onset, work-related asthma, remains underreported in spite of increasing reports of occupational asthma cases through occupational asthma surveillance in Korea. We report a 61-year-old male who developed RADS after exposure to a high level of toxic gases from a workplace accident.
CASE
The patient who had worked for 21 years at a PVC manufacture factory and had retained good health until Aug 22, 2007, when he was exposed to PVC (polyvinyl chloride), DEHP (Di (2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate), dibutyl tin maleate and epoxidized soybean oil gases from a heated mixer. Within several minutes of exposure, he developed coughing, rhinorrhea, dyspnea and wheezing. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) showed an FVC of 3.81 L(82% of predicted), FEV1 of 1.63 L/s (50% of predicted), FEV1/FVC% of 43 %, and FEV1 of 1.80 L/s that increased by 170 ml and 10.4% in response to bronchodilator. After 7 months of treatment with inhaled steroids and bronchodilators, repeat PFTs showed an FVC of 6.56 L(143.5% of predicted), FEV1 of 3.21 L(99.3% of predicted), and FEV1/FVC% of 48.9%. A methacholine challenge test was negative at a concentration of 25 mg/ml.
CONCLUSION
RADS occurred due to exposure to raw material vapors or their thermal decomposition products.

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