Effect of welding fumes on the cardiovascular system a six-year longitudinal study

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 52 - 61
• Main Authors: Taj, Tahir, Gliga, Anda R, Hedmer, Maria, Wahlberg, Karin, Assarsson, Eva, Lundh, Thomas, Tinnerberg, Håkan, Albin, Maria, Broberg, Karin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Finland Finnish Institute of Occupational Health 01.01.2021; Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health; Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health; Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH)
• Subjects: Aerosols; Air Pollutants, Occupational - analysis; Air Pollutants, Occupational - toxicity; Arbetsmedicin och miljömedicin; biomarker; Biomarkers; Blood pressure; C-reactive protein; Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease; cardiovascular; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular system; Cardiovascular System - chemistry; Clinical Medicine; Confidence intervals; Correlation analysis; CVD; disease; Dust; Endothelial function; Environmental & Occupational Health; exposure; Exposure limits; fume; Fumes; Health Sciences; Homocysteine; Humans; Hälsovetenskap; Kardiologi och kardiovaskulära sjukdomar; Key terms biomarker; Klinisk medicin; LDL; Longitudinal Studies; longitudinal study; Low carbon steels; Low density lipoprotein; Male; manganese; matter air-pollution; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; medicine; Metal; Metal workers; occupational; Occupational exposure; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Occupational health; Occupational Health and Environmental Health; Occupational medicine; Original; Original article; Outdoor air quality; Particle; Pressure effects; Proteins; Public; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Regression models; risk-assessment; Statistical analysis; Welding; welding fume; Welding fumes; Welding machines; United States > US; Sweden
• ISSN: 0355-3140; 1795-990X; 1795-990X
• DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3908

Objective This study investigated whether low-to-moderate exposure to welding fumes is associated with adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. Methods To test this, we performed a longitudinal analysis of 78 mild steel welders and 96 controls; these subjects were examined twice, six years apart (ie, timepoints 1 and 2). All subjects (male and non-smoking at recruitment) completed questionnaires describing their health, work history, and lifestyle. We measured their blood pressure, endothelial function (by EndoPAT), and risk markers for cardiovascular disease [low-density lioprotein (LDL), homocysteine, C-reactive protein]. Exposure to welding fumes was assessed from the responses to questionnaires and measurements of respirable dust in their breathing zones adjusted for use of respiratory protection equipment. Linear mixed-effect regression models were used for the longitudinal analysis. Results Median respirable dust concentrations, adjusted for respirable protection, of the welders were 0.7 (5-95 percentile range 0.2-4.2) and 0.5 (0.1-1.9) mg/m at timepoints 1 and 2, respectively. Over the six-year period, welders showed a statistically significant increase in systolic [5.11 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.92-8.31] and diastolic (3.12 mm Hg, 95% CI 0.74-5.5) blood pressure compared with controls (multi-variable adjusted mixed effect models). Diastolic blood pressure increased non-significantly by 0.22 mm Hg (95% CI -0.02-0.45) with every additional year of welding work. No consistent significant associations were found between exposure and endothelial function, LDL, homocysteine, or C-reactive protein. Conclusion Exposure to welding fumes at low-to-moderate levels is associated with increased blood pressure, suggesting that reducing the occupational exposure limit (2.5 mg/m for inorganic respirable dust in Sweden) is needed to protect cardiovascular health of workers.