title: Annual decline in forced expiratory volume is steeper in aluminum potroom workers than in workers without exposure to potroom fumes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aluminum potroom exposure is associated with increased mortality of COPD but the association between potroom exposure and annual decline in lung function is unknown. We have measured lung volumes annually using spirometry from 1986 to 1996. The objective was to compare annual decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (dFEV1) and forced vital capacity (dFVC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The number of aluminum potroom workers was 4,546 (81% males) and the number of workers in the reference group was 651 (76% males). The number of spirometries in the index group and the references were 24,060 and 2,243, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for confounders, the difference in dFEV1 and dFVC between the index and reference groups were 13.5 (P < 0.001) and -8.0 (P = 0.060) ml/year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aluminum potroom operators have increased annual decline in FEV1 relative to a comparable group with non-exposure to potroom fumes and gases.
authors: Medical Division, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia.
authors: Vidar
authors: V
authors: Søyseth
authors: Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia.
authors: Paul K
authors: PK
authors: Henneberger
authors: Medical Division, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.
authors: Gunnar
authors: G
authors: Einvik
authors: Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia.
authors: Mohammed Abbas
authors: MA
authors: Virji
authors: Department of Occupational Health Surveilance, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Berit
authors: B
authors: Bakke
authors: Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Respiratory Medicine, Rikshospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Johny
authors: J
authors: Kongerud
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects; D000535:Aluminum; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013147:Spirometry; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000535:Aluminum
keywords: aluminum; longitudinal study; lung function; mixed model; potroom exposure; smoking