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Stacki-rA/ii* Hygiene ~^SUrr*F-' -4 .,.. I ; ; 't - ' 'fZS&sj.-ir*-- INDUSTRIAL HEALTH NEWS LITERATURE ABSTRACTS MEDICAL __.... .1- `ENGINEERING CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGICAL . LEGAL V JULY, 1966 . (Vol. 30, No. 7) f INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE FOUNDATION- MELLON INSTITUTE / -4400 FUTH AVENUE PITTSB^GhTpaTJ t Asthma: Allergic Responses to the Grain Weevil (Sitophilus granarius). Brit. J. Ind. Med. 23_, 149-152 (April, 1966). laboratory workers, who spent a considerable time each day handling grain infesting by the ^"'ain weevil (Sitoohilus granarius), developed allergic responses to this insect varying from rhinitis -f, pruritus to marked asthma. These findings suggested that weevil protein present in mill dust ^uld result in sensitization in those exposed continuously. A pilot study was therefore undertaken 75 volunteer millworkers to determine whether such sensitivity existed. A millworkor was defined as anyone who worked in a flour mill or mill producing animal feed from mixed cereals, or 0 worked in grain-storing silos. Skin testing with weevil, mixed flour extracts, and a control was carried out on all 75 volunteers; 57% had a positive response to the weevil extract and 68% sitive response to the mixed flour extract. In a control group of 100 workers from two engi a ? neering firms matched for age and sex, 34% were positive to the weevil extract and 17% to mixed dour. From the initial 75 millworkers, 15 were selected for further study based on a positive -kin response to the weevil and a history of a productive cough and chest tightness and wheezing when exposed to mill dust. The forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV^ q) was measured after control inhalations and after weevil and mixed flour inhalations. Significant reductions of -'0% and 15. 4% were found in two subjects after inhalation of weevil extract. In one case wheezing and cough developed. The changes in FEVj q were reversed after inhalation of a bronchodilator aerosol. Twenty-five of the control subjects with positive skin responses to the grain weevil were -iven similar provocation inhalations but none showed any significant change in FEV^ q. This oilot study suggests that grain weevil sensitivity is an additional factor in millworkers1 asthma. -- Author's abst. farmer's Lung. P. Marland. Poumon Coeur 2_1_ (2) 209-223 (1965). French. Farmer s lung may exhibit three pictures; acute dyspneic attack, relapsing subacute respiratory manifestations, chronic respiratory failure. Hay and musty grains are responsible for these dis orders. The proof of a candidosis has not been established in a formal manner. The irritating action of dusts on the bronchi of a sensitized subject would rather include the disease within the sphere of aliergoconiosis. -- APCA Absts. Antigens From Moldy Hay Involved in Farmer's Lung, D.E. LaBerge and M. A. Stahmann. Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med. 121, 458-462 (Feb. 1966). Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) extracts of moldy hay contained three antigens that produce precipitins with a typical farmer's lung serum. These antigens were fractionally precipitated with ethanol; antigens were present in the fractions precipitated between the limits of 50 to o0%, 60 to 70%, and 70 to 90% alcohol. Each of these alcohol fractions were further purified on diethylaminoethyl 1DEAE-) cellulose and analyzed for sugars and amino acids. It is concluded that these TCA-soluble antigens involved in farmer's lung disease are composed of peptides and carbohydrates that were not separated by TCA extraction, alcohol fractionation, or by chromatography on DEAE- cellulose ion exchange columns. There are 13 references. -- Public Health Eng. Absts. Asbestos and the Urban Dweller. J.G. Thomson. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 132, 196-214(Dec. 31, 1965). Investigations were made in Cape Town, South Africa, to determine the extent to which the ordinary urban dweller is exposed by occupation or environment to the inhalation of asbestos. Investigations were made by counting asbestos bodies in smears from the lung bases from 500 consecutive autop sies in subjects over 15 years of age inCICpe'Town and 500 in Miami, Florida. The results were simi lar in the two cities. Approximately 30% of the males and 20% of the females showed asbestos bodies. The finding of abundant asbestos bodies in the lung bases of one in 17 of the male hospital population suggests that the occupational hazard from asbestos is greater and more diversified than realized at present. As a limited basal asbestosis may be associated with malignant meso thelioma of pleura and peritoneum an increase in this tumor is forecast as the main ground for regarding asbestos as a potential urban hazard. -- APCA Absts. The Inhalation of Fibrous Dusts. V. Timbrell. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1 32, 255-273 (Dec. 31, 1965). The largest compact particles normally found in lungs are about 10 microns in diameter. Asbestos t'-bers 50 microns and even 200 microns long can be explained by the fact that the parameter of the two main deposition mechanisms is particle free-falling speed, determined by the diameter and not the length. If the diameter of an asbestos fiber is less than 3. 5 microns, the fiber has a chance of escaping deposition by these two mechanisms and of penetrating deeply into the lung. The more symmetrical a fiber is, the greater its chance of penetrating. The limitation on the lengths of the fibers which reach the pulmonary air spaces is imposed by the nasal hairs and by the small diameters of the resniratorv hronc'n^nlea A sheorns -lioo J; - J 697 Occupational and Non-Occupational Exposures to Asbestos. W. C. Hueper. Ann. N\Y. Acad. Sci. L32, 184-195 (Dec. 31, 1965). The sources and types of occupational and non-occupational exposures to asbestos and various occupational and non-occupational population groups having such contacts are presented. The biologic functional and anatomic effects associated with and produced by the inhalation of asbesto- dust are discussed. Asbestosis and asbestos cancer hazards related to an inhalatory exposure exist not only for asbestos workers engaged in direct and regular production, processing, handh- and use of asbestos containing materials, but also for the large number of individuals who mav have contacts on an incidental basis. The rise in the production and industrial use of asbestos has resulted in a widened exposure to asbestos dust for an increased number of workers. The principal worker groups exposed to respiratory contact with asbestos are employed in the minir-e and milling industries, the production and commercial use of asbestos cement and plaster, and secondary products. There are 91 references. -- APCA Absts, PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF THE EN'VIRON'MENT 698 The Hazards of Scuba Diving. D. W. Parker. Can. J. Public Health 56, 292-296 (July, 1965'. The following hazards of scuba diving are discussed: drowning, air embolism, eye squeeze, rr.:.. ear squeeze, sinus squeeze, nitrogen narcosis, air starvation, seasickness, shallow breaming, 'decompression sickness, over-expansion of gas, air squeeze, and carbon dioxide poisoning. Tex tures of safe equipment are listed. -- Public Health Eng. Absts. 699 tVater Consumption by Man in a Warm Environment: A Statistical Analysis. J. E. Greenlea: E.G. Averkin, and F. Sargent II. J. Appl. Physiol. 21, 93-98 (Jan. 1966). Twenty-two metabolic variables were examined using stepwise linear regression analysis for :'r.- possible relationship to voluntary water consumption in 87 young men. Six variables: (i) meat, daily urinary volume, (2) serum osmolarity, (3) lying pulse rate, (4) mean daily urinary Cl, (5) mean daily urinary K, and (6) rate of sweating, accounted for 62ri; of the variation in water intake. The addition of the remaining 16 variables accounted for only 7iTo of the variation. Ar. equation was constructed that estimated water intake from these six variables. The anions, par ticularly Cl, might be of greater importance in influencing drinking than has been previously realized. The data suggest that some combination of body osmolarity and body fluid volume ".= associated with water intake in man. There are 2S references. -- Aerospace Med. Absts. C- Modifications of Serum Protein Iodine in Man Exposed to Polar Climate. M. Staquet. J. Physiol. (Paris) 57, 4Q9-502 (Juiy-Aug. .965). French. -he stress produced by exposure to cold causes a tall in serum protein-bound iodine during trv early days. fr. some subjects this initial fall is followed, in succeeding days, by a return tc .nr or even raised, levels. These changes can be explained by an increased peripheral thyroxine sumption provoking pituitary-thyroid hyperfunction. There are 14 references. -- Aerospace Med. Abs;.' 701 Spread of Masking in Ears Showing Abnormal Adaptation and Conductive Deafness. F. Haroetand I. M. Young. Acta Oto-Laryngoi. oO. 49-58 (July-Aug. 1965). Thresholds in the presence of various intensities of noise re 0. 0002 dynes/sq.cm, were com?" for normal and pathologic ears. For all sensorineural loss without abnormal adaptation, '*ia` . band noise produced a masked threshold 15-20db. below the level of the noise. The masked " hold at the center of the narrow band was approximately at the same intensity as noise. 1,-e' .... findings are essentially the same as m normal ears. Conauctiveiy deafened ears showed ^ mashed thresholds as normal ears for white noise and for the center of the narrow band ana frequencies below. However, there was less spread of masking than normal for frequer.c- _ . the center o: the narrow band. Cases with progressively increasing sensorineural hearing ^ ^ frequencies above the narrow band showed most increased spread above the narrow band. : with flat losses or more sensorineural loss for frequencies below- the narrow band showed a ^ .. symmetrical spread or. each side of the narrow band. The clinical and audiological finding^ ^ ,, latter group indicated that the lesion was in the cochlea. For abnormally adapting ears, ... caused greater masking than for normal ears. In severely adapting ears, the lateral 5?r masking approached the effect of -white noise with narrow band masking. There are 24 re* _ -- Aerosoace Med. A*35