Effect of welding fume on heart rate variability among workers with respirators in a shipyard.
Welding fume exposure is associated with heart rate variability (HRV) reduction. It is still unknown whether respirator can reduce effect of welding fume on HRV among welding workers in a shipyard. We recruited 68 welding workers with respirator and 52 welding workers without respirator to measure HRV indices, including standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) and square root of the mean squared differences of successive intervals (r-MSSD) by ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG). Personal exposure to particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) was measured by a dust monitor. The association between 5-minute mean PM2.5and log10-transformed HRV indices was analyzed by mixed-effects models. We found 5-minute mean PM2.5was associated with 8.9% and 10.3% decreases in SDNN and r-MSSD. Effect of PM2.5on HRV indices was greatest among workers without respirator {SDNN: 12.4% (95% confidence interval = -18.8--6.9); r-MSSD: 14.7% (95% confidence interval = -20.8--8.6)}. Workers with respirator showed slight decreases in HRV indices {SDNN: 2.2% (95% confidence interval = -6.3--1.9); r-MSSD: 4.0% (95% confidence interval = -6.4--1.6)}. We conclude that respirator use reduces the effect of PM2.5exposure on HRV among workers performing welding in a shipyard.
School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Bor-Cheng
BC
Han
Department of Nursing, Cardinal Tien College of Healthcare &Management, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
I-Jung
IJ
Liu
School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hsiao-Chi
HC
Chuang
Institute of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health, Ministry of Labor, Taipei, Taiwan.|School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chih-Hong
CH
Pan
School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Kai-Jen
KJ
Chuang
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