Impact of working conditions on the health of workers employed in nickel carbonyl refining

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Abstract

A method of nickel carbonyl refining is known to be associated with an increased risk of acute and chronic nickel tetracarbonyl (TKN) intoxication. The purpose of the study was to examine the features of the influence of working conditions and, above all, TKN aerosols on the development of general and occupational pathology in nickel carbonyl production workers. In today’s nickel carbonyl refining TK is established to have a predominant influence on the development of chronic bronchopulmonary diseases, the most common of which are chronic bronchitis (11.5% of employees) and toxic pulmonary fibrosis (11.2% of employees). In the last 10 years there were no recorded cases of previously observed extra pulmonary diseases associated with toxic TKN effects (cardiomyopathy, hepatitis, encephalopathy). However, the employees engaged in nickel carbonyl refining continue to experience an increased risk of developing occupational diseases as compared to both electrolytic nickel production workers (RR = 2.13; CI 1.65-2.75), and auxiliary facilities workers (RR = 5.26; CI 3.17-8.21). Occupational diseases found in workers of all major specialties, reduced the duration of their active working life almost by 10 years. The conclusion is made about the need for an integrated approach to solve the problem of preservation of carbonyl production worker′s health which includes better working conditions, improved personal protective equipment from the effects of harmful factors, development of medical methods for early diagnosis and prevention of health disorders in this group of workers.

About the authors

Sergey A. Syurin

Northwest Public Health Research Center

Author for correspondence.
Email: kola.reslab@mail.ru

Chief researcher of the Northwest Public Health Research Center, Saint-Petersburg, 191036, Russian Federation.

e-mail: kola.reslab@mail.ru

Russian Federation

A. N. Nikanov

Northwest Public Health Research Center

Email: noemail@neicon.ru
Russian Federation

V. V. Shilov

Northwest Public Health Research Center

Email: noemail@neicon.ru
Russian Federation

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