Effect of exposure of miners to aluminium powder.
'McIntyre Powder' (finely ground aluminium and aluminium oxide) was used as a prophylactic agent against silicotic lung disease between 1944 and 1979 in mines in northern Ontario. To find out whether the practice produced neurotoxic effects a morbidity prevalence study was conducted between 1988 and 1989. There were no significant differences between exposed and non-exposed miners in reported diagnoses of neurological disorder; however, exposed miners performed less well than did unexposed workers on cognitive state examinations; also, the proportion of men with scores in the impaired range was greater in the exposed than non-exposed group. Likelihood of scores in the impaired range increased with duration of exposure. The findings are consistent with putative neurotoxicity of chronic aluminium exposure.
Rifat
S L
SL
Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada.
Eastwood
M R
MR
McLachlan
D R
DR
Corey
P N
PN
D000535:Aluminum / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006046:Gold; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008906:Mining; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011208:Powders; D015995:Prevalence; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012829:Silicosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors; D014501:Uranium
D011208:Powders; D014501:Uranium; D006046:Gold; D000535:Aluminum; D000537:Aluminum Oxide