title: Health survey of workers occupationally exposed to cobalt.
abstract: The results are presented for a health control program using 236 male workers exposed to a cobalt inhalation risk. The study group consisted of grinders, producers of diamond tools, workers in metallurgical and mechanical industries (where Widia tools are processed and sharpened), and finally formerly exposed workers. All subjects received a clinical examination, the European Community for Coal and Steel questionnaire on respiratory complaints, a chest X-ray, pulmonary function test, electrocardiogram and determination of urinary cobalt; in 91 subjects, the metacholine bronchial provocation test was performed. Three cases of interstitial lung disease were identified. There were no cases with a significant alteration of ventilatory function while 20 cases (16 exposed and four formerly exposed workers) showed a reduced carbon monoxide transfer coefficient (TL,CO,sb/Va).
authors.affiliation: Local Sanitary Unit 29, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suardi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Belotti
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leghissa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caironi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alborghetti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Storto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piazzolla
mesh_terms: D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D003035:Cobalt / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
chemical_list: D003035:Cobalt