Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (한국산업보건학회지)

Korean Industrial Hygiene Association (한국산업보건학회)
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Significant Variation in the Indicators for Liver-biliary, Renal, and Blood-circulatory Function among Workers with Long-Term Low-Level Exposure to Chemicals over 10 Years or More Working at Environment Monitoring

장기-저농도로 10년 이상 노출된 작업환경측정 근로자들의 간-담도계, 신장, 혈액-순환기 기능 지표들의 유의한 변화

  • Joo Hong Cho (Korean Industrial Health Association, Busan Southern Regional Headquarters) ;
  • Chan-Seok Moon (Department of Industrial Safety and Health, Catholic University of Pusan)
  • 조주홍 (대한산업보건협회, 부산남부지역본부) ;
  • 문찬석 (부산가톨릭대학교, 산업안전보건학과)
  • Received : 2024.08.12
  • Accepted : 2024.09.26
  • Published : 2024.09.30
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Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the body burden of workers in work environment monitoring with long-term (more than 10 years) low-level exposure to various chemicals. The subject workers were a total of 26 men and women who performed work environment monitoring tasks as the exposure group and those who did not perform such work among their co-workers at the same company as the control group. The exposure to various chemicals was examined through liver and biliary function with 12 indicators, renal function with four indicators, and blood and circulatory function with 16 indicators. The exposure group had significant variation compared to the control group for the indicators of serum GPT, ϒ-GTP, and total bilirubin for liver and biliary function, indicators of creatinine and uric acid for renal function, and indicators for neutral fats, red blood cell count, platelet count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit for blood and circulatory function. Long-term exposure to various chemicals at low levels might affect the variation of the indicators for liver and biliary, renal and blood, and circulatory function of workers. If low-concentration exposure to different hazardous chemicals occurs over a long period of more than 10 years, it could be a harmful factor to the health of workers who measure the working environment.

본 연구는 저농도로 장기간(10년 이상) 작업장에서 사용하는 다양한 화학물질에 노출된 작업환경측정 근로자의 체내 부하를 평가하는 것이다. 노출군은 작업환경측정 업무를 수행하는 남자 및 여자 근로자 16명이며, 대조군은 동일 회사 동료 중 작업환경측정을 수행하지 않는 근로자 10명으로서 총 26명을 연구 대상으로 하였다. 다양한 화학물질 노출에 대한 체내 지표는 간-담도 기능에 12개 지표, 신기능에 4개 지표, 혈액 및 순환기능에 16개 지표를 사용하였다. 간-담도 기능에서는 혈청 GPT, ϒ-GTP, 총 빌리루빈, 신기능에서는 크레아티닌과 요산, 혈액 및 순환기능에서는 중성지방, 적혈구수, 혈소판수, 헤모글로빈과 헤마토크릿 지표에서 노출군과 대조군이 유의한 차이를 나타내었다. 다양한 화학물질에 10년 이상 장기간 저농도로 노출되는 작업환경측정 근로자의 경우 간-담도 기능, 신기능 및 혈액 및 순환 기능 지표에 유의한 변화가 나타날 수 있다. 서로 다른 유해 화학 물질에 10년이상 장기간에 걸쳐 저농도 노출이 발생하더라도 작업환경측정 작업근로자들의 건강에 유해요인으로 작용할 수 있다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This paper was supported by 2021 Research Fund offered from Catholic University of Pusan.

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