Neurobehavioral performance in aluminum welders.
METHODS
Twenty aluminum welders (mean age 33 years; range 21-52), who had been exposed to aluminum for an average of 8.1 years (range 2-21), were tested for tremor and reaction time and screened for neuropsychiatric symptoms in a cross-sectional study. The welders' median urinary aluminum concentration was 1.5 micromol/L (range 0. 7-4.8). Aluminum in air, measured inside the respiratory protection, was 0.9 mg/m(3) (range 0.6-3.8). The welders were compared with twenty construction workers matched for age.


RESULTS
Welders reported more symptoms than referents did (median 2 vs. 1; P=0.047). Although the welders as a group performed better than the referents on a tremor test, years of exposure, but not age, was predictive of poorer performance. The welders' reaction times were rapid by clinical standards (mean simple reaction time (SRT): 221 milliseconds; mean continuous performance test (CPT): 364 milliseconds). Although, as a group, they performed better than the referents, there was a statistically significant relation between longer reaction times and aluminum in air (air-Al).


CONCLUSIONS
The relations between hand steadiness and years exposed, and between reaction time and air-Al, could indicate slight effects from exposure to aluminum. The possibility of selection of workers with high manual skills into welding work and a possible job-related training effect, might partly serve to explain the good performance among the welders.
Bast-Pettersen
R
R
National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
Skaug
V
V
Ellingsen
D
D
Thomassen
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000535:Aluminum; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D014202:Tremor; D014896:Welding
D000535:Aluminum