title: Lung function and respiratory symptoms in hard metal workers exposed to cobalt.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To follow-up lung function and airway symptoms in workers exposed to cobalt dust at a hard metal plant.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 582 employees underwent spirometry and completed a questionnaire. A historical exposure matrix was created, assigning figures for historical and recent work-related exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the time of employment, 5% reported symptoms from respiratory tract. At follow-up, 5% suffered from persistent coughing and 7% reported asthma; 20% were daily smokers. Among nonsmokers without asthma, an evident, statistically nonsignificant, dose-response effect was seen between increasing cobalt exposure and decline in FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in the first second). In all exposure categories, the FEV1 in smokers declined 10 mL more per year than for nonsmokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even low levels of cobalt exposure seem to hamper lung function both in smokers and nonsmokers. This impact is considered low in relation to the effect of aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. pia.rehfisch@medsci.uu.se
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rehfisch
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lampa
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nordling
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Svartengren
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Westberg
authors.forename: Lars-Gunnar
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Gunnarsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003035:Cobalt / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D003035:Cobalt