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5th Congress of the Federation of European Psychophysiology Societies,
10. - 14. September 2003,
Bordeaux, Frankreich
Abstract:
Longitudinal study examining the
neurotoxicity of an occupational exposure to aluminium containing welding fumes
Buchta, M.1, Kiesswetter, E. 2, Höper, D.W.1 , Schaller, K.H. 4, Schäper, M. 2,
Zschiesche, W.3, Kuhlmann, A.1, Letzel, S.1
1 Institute for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine
of the University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacherstraße 67, 55131 Mainz, Germany; 2 Institute for Occupational Physiology at the University of Dortmund, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany; 3 Berufsgenossenschaft
für Feinmechanik und Elektrotechnik, Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer 130, 50968 Köln,Germany; 4 Institute for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine of the University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schillerstr.
25, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Aluminium, Aluminium Welders, Neurotoxicity, Welding fumes
Aims:
Aim of the longitudinal study was to examine aluminium welders for central nervous
changes due to the exposure to aluminium containing welding fumes in comparison to non-exposed workers.
Methods:
A group of 46 aluminium welders in the train body and truck trailer
construction (mean age 43 years) with a median of 6 years of occupational exposure to aluminium welding fumes and a control group of 37 production workers (mean age: 40 years) of the same plants participated
in this longitudinal study. Two medical and neuropsychological examinations were performed 1999 and 2001. Performance was measured with computerised (EURO-NES) and non-computerised test systems (motor performance,
verbal intelligence, simple reaction time, symbol-digit substitution, switching attention, standard progressive matrices, trail making, block design) and symptoms with a modified version of the questionnaire Q16.
Data were analysed by multivariate analysis of variance including age, education, and alcohol marker as covariates (MANCOVA).
Results:
The mean Al-urine concentration (mean pre/postshift) was 114 µg/g cr. (1999)
and 137 µg/g cr. (2001). Welders showed a significantly poorer performance in symbol-digit substitution, subtests of switching attention, block design, and marginally poorer performance in digit span forward. Motor
performance measures did not differ between welders and controls. Regression analyses show small but statistically significant relationships between Al-urine parameters and some performance measures.
Conclusions:
The results could be first but weak indicators for possible neurological
changes in the Al welders in our cohort.
For the authors:
1 Dr. med. Mark Buchta
Institute for Occupational, Social,
and Environmental Medicine of the University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacherstraße 67, 55131 Mainz, Germany
Tel.: 06131-3933117, Fax: 06131-3936037
email: buchta@mail.uni-mainz.de
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