Lung function disturbances and chest X-ray abnormalities among marine engineers.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the study was to investigate to what extent marine engineers who are exposed to mineral oil mist in the engine rooms of ships have lung function disturbances and chest X-ray abnormalities.


METHODS
A previous study examined a cohort of 492 seamen from which we received 169 full-scale (40 x 40 cm) chest radiographs. Among these films were 68 from marine engineers and 101 from seamen who had never worked as engineers (controls). Spirometric data were obtained from 44 engineers and from 71 of the controls. The chest X-rays were classified independently by two certified B-readers, using the ILO classification.


RESULTS
Only 7% of the seamen had parenchymal or pleural changes. The only statistically significant difference between the two groups for the chest X-ray findings was for all comments made by the ILO readers which were termed "any symbol" (9.3% for the engineers and 0.6% for the controls; RR = 14.6 (95% CI 1.1-75.5)) and the FEV% (FEV1/FVC x 100) for the spirometric values (82.8 (SD = 10.8) for the engineers and 86.6 (SD = 8.0) for the controls; P = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the study indicate a slight lung function impairment and an increase in chest X-ray abnormalities, other than small opacities, among the marine engineers.
Svendsen
K
K
Department of Occupational Medicine, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway. kristin.svendsen@medisin.ntnu.no
Hilt
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004738:Engineering; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008899:Mineral Oil / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009326:Naval Medicine; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D008899:Mineral Oil