title: Quantitative olfactory disorders and occupational exposure to phenolic resins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate whether exposure to phenolic resins (PR) is associated with quantitative olfactory disorders (QOD), a cross-sectional study of self-reported olfactory impairment (SROI) was performed in occupationally exposed subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six workers (45 males, 21 females) at the age (mean ± standard deviation) of 39.8±10.15 years old were divided into 3 exposure groups on the basis of biological exposure indices (BEI) for urinary phenols. It was asked whether the sense of smell has been normal or abnormal during the recent 2 months: the participants were eventually divided into self-reported normosmic, hyposmic, hyperosmic groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of the SROI was 45.5%, with 21 (31.8%) workers complaining about the hyposmia, 12 (18.2%) - anosmia and 9 (13.6%) - hyperosmia. In univariate analyses, female sex was associated with the SROI and the hyperosmia. Highly exposed workers showed the SROI more frequently (odds ratio (OR) = 4.714; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.077-20.626) than those not exposed (reference) or low exposed (OR = 1.333; 95% CI: 0.416-4.274). In multivariate analyses, female sex was the main risk factor for the SROI (adjusted odds ratio (ORa) = 5.622; 95% CI: 1.525-20.722) and the hyperosmia (ORa = 25.143; 95% CI: 2.379-265.7) but a high exposure to phenol (ORa = 11.133; 95% CI: 1.060-116.9) was the main risk factor for the anosmia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has found slight evidence among the cross-section of chemical industry workers that the exposure to phenol may be associated with the SROI. On the other hand, self-reporting of the QOD may be biased by personal factors and further research with objective measurement is therefore required. Med Pr 2016;67(2):173-186.
authors.affiliation: Provincial Agency for Health Services in Trento, Trento, Italy (Unit for Health and Safety on the Workplaces, Department of Prevention). mricco2000@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riccó
authors.affiliation: University of Parma, Parma, Italy (Department of Biomedical, Biotechnological, and Translational Sciences). carlo.signorelli@unipr.it.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Signorelli
authors.affiliation: Industria Abrasivi Parmense - Globe Srl, Parma, Italy. rd@globeabrasives.com.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pistelli
authors.affiliation: Parma University Hospital, Parma, Italy (Department of Clinical Surgery, General Surgery and Surgical Therapy, School of Nursing Sciences). silvia.cattani@libero.it.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cattani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010636:Phenols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011108:Polymers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols; D011108:Polymers; D005557:Formaldehyde; C011529:phenol-formaldehyde resin
keywords: biological markers; formaldehyde; industrial psychology; olfaction disorders; olfactory mucosa; phenol-formaldehyde resins