• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.3 s.27
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• pp.328-336
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• 1989

27 shipyard welders were diagnosed as pneumoconiosis and suspected pneumoconiosis(1976-1988) by chest radiographs and were observed over three years. 27 welders were divided into three groups by the state of exposure to welding fume i.e. cessation, decresase or continuity of exposure. And we observed the changing pattern of the chest radiographs of 27 welders with the passage of time. The results were as follows; 1. Grour I (ceased exposure to welding fume) were 10 cases(3 cases: suspected pneumoconiosis,7 cases: pneumoconiosis). Chest radiographs of all cases were improved. The shape and size of small opacities was improved in 6 cases(85.7%) and did not changed in 1 case(14.3%) out of 7 pneumoconiosis welders. 2. Group II (decreased exposure to welding fume) were S cases(2 cases: suspected pneumoconiosis, 3 cases: pneumoconiosis). Chest radiographs were progressed in 2 cases(40%), did not changed in 1 case(20%), were improved in 2 cases(40%) out of 5 cases. The shape and size of small opacities was progressed in 1 case(33.3%) and was improved in 2 cases(66.7%) out of 3 pneumoconiosis welders. 3. Group III(continued expoxsure to welding fume) were 12 cases(1 case: suspected pneumoconiosis, 11 cases: pneumoconiosis). Chest radiographs were progressed in 9 cases(75%), did not changed in 3 cases(25%) out of 12 cases. The shape and size of small opacities was progressed in 1 case(9.1%) and did not changed in 10 cases(90.9%) out of 11 pneumoconiosis welders. 4. The average duration for development into suspected pneumoconiosis was 6.6 years and for progression of each one category after that was 2.2 years(p<0.01). The radiological appearance of pneumoconiosis had disappeared or decreased after cessation of exposure to the welding fume. So that, early detection and control e.g., change of department of pneumoconiosis of welders by screening program will be important for medical surveillance of welders.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.713-722
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• 1995

Background: Chest X-ray of coal workers' pneumoconiosis and shipyard welders' lung show similar and regular opacities mostly, it is very difficult that we distinguish the former from the latter by only chest X-ray. so we performed this study to understand the progression of the disease and to provide the disease by considering pulmonary function and other factors in proportion to the profusion of small regular opacities of chest X-ray in both groups. Method: 430 coal workers' pneumoconiosis were compared with 311 shipyard welders' lung by the number, the age, the duration of dust exposure, %vital capacity(%VC), %FEV1.0, the type of ventilatory impairment, the combined pulmonary disease according to the profusion of small regular opacities on the chest radiographs, which were classified into category 0/1, category 1, and category 2. Result: 1) the percent of category 2 in coal workers' pneumoconiosis was 54.4%. the percent of category 1, and category 2 in welders' lung were 60.0%, 7.4%. the progression to the category 2 was higher in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than in welders' lung 2) The mean age was higher in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than in welders' lung, significantly increased in proportion to the progresion of profusion of small regular opacities in both groups 3) There was no difference in the duration of dust exposure by category 1/0, but the duration of dust exposure by category 1, 2 in coal workers' pneumoconiosis more significantly increased than in welders' lung. the duration in the proportion of category 2 to category 0/1, 1 significantly increased in the proportion to small regular opacities in coal workers' pneumoconiosis. but there was no significant difference in the proportion to small regular opacities in duration of dust exposure in welders' lung. 4) There was no significant difference of mean values of %VC(%vital capacity)in both groups except for category 1. the mean values of %VC had no relationship between the progression of small regular opacities in both groups. 5) The mean values of %FEV1.0 decreased more significantly in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than in welders' lung except for category 0/1. and decreased significantly in proportion to the profusion of small regular opacities in coal workers' pneumoconiosis. there was significant difference of %FEV1.0 in the proportion of category 2 to category 011 in welders' lung. 6) there were no significant difference of %FEV1.0, %VC in smoker and nonsmoker in both groups. 7) With regard to the type of ventilation in both groups in coal workers' pneumoconiosis 21.4 percent of patients belonged to the restrictive type, 11.6 percent to the obstructive type, 5.6 percent to the combined type, but in welders' lung 21.8 percent to the restrictive type, 2.9 percent to the obstructive type, 1.9 percent to the combined type. 8. in the pulmonary disease, the incidence of the pulmonary tuberculosis was the most in both groups, was more in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than welders' lung Conclusion: If we compare coal workers' pneumoconiosis with electric arc welders'lung by considering pulmonary function and other factors in proportion to the profusion of chest X-ray, I think that we will have the better result in understanding the progression of the disease and provision of the disease in both groups.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.1 s.60
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• pp.104-111
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• 1998

To obtain the basic information that can be used as a factor for explaining the diversity of welders' pneumoconiosis, the authors measured the concentrations of dust according to the size of dust in 71 workplaces of a shipyard where welders' pneumoconiosis have occurred. The concentrations of dust according to the size of dust showed no difference between workplaces regardless of kinds of work.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.1 s.25
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• pp.153-161
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• 1989

Authors studied on the prevalence of 94 cases of pneumoconiosis who were found out through the screening test on 1,062 workers engaged in welding process at 36 shipyard in Pusan area from March 1st, 1986 to November 30th, 1986. The result were as follows; 1. Dust concentration was measured $4.49{\pm}0.54mg/m^3$ in the small scale shipyard while it was $6.25{\pm}1.08mg/m^3$ in the large one. 2. The prevalence of welder's lung was 8.9% (male:8.5%, female:12.0%) and this is consist of 4.9% suspected pneumoconiosis and 4.0% pneumoconiosis more than category 1/0. 3. The prevalence was significantly increased according to the duration of dust exposure(p<0.05), and it showed the increasing tendency by the age group. 4. The prevalence was significantly higher in the large scale shipyard than is the small scale one(p<0.01). 5. The type and shape of opacities were 71.4% of p type and 28.6% of q type, however no pneumoconiosis with r type observed in this study. 6. The main subjective symptoms were the sputum(29.8%), coughing(25.5%), shortness of breath(20.2%), fatique(6.4%), and chest pain(5.3%). In other hand, 57.4% of pneumoconiosis were asymptomatic. 7. The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis was radiologically 1.7% in all subjects including 5.3% in pneumoconiosis and 1.3% in no pneumoconiosis(p<0.01).

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2004

Respiratory effects in full time welders include bronchitis, airway irritation, lung function changes, and lung fibrosis. Welder's pneumoconiosis has been generally determined to be benign and not associated with respiratory symptoms based on the absence of pulmonary function abnormalities in welders with marked radiographic abnormalities. Accordingly, to investigate pulmonary function changes during 60 days induced by welding-fume exposure, male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to manual metal arc-stainless steel (MMA-SS) welding fumes with concentrations of 64.8$\pm$0.9 mg/$m^3$ (low dose) and 107.8 $\pm$ 2.6 mg/$m^3$ (high dose) total suspended particulates for 2 hr/day, 5 days/week in an inhalation chamber for 60 days. Pulmonary function was measured every week with whole body plethysmograph compensated (WBP Comp, SFT38116, Buxco Electronics, Sharon, CT). The rats exposed to the high dose of welding fumes exhibited statistically significant (p<0.05~0.01) body weight decrease as compared to the control whereas cell number increase of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) (total cell, macrophage, polymorphonuclear cell and lymphocyte) during the 60 days exposure period. And only tidal volume was significantly decreased in dosedependantly during 60 days of MMA-SS welding fume exposure. This pulmonary function change with inflammatory cell recruitment confirms the lung injury caused by the MMA-SS welding fume exposure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.125-125
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• 2003

Respiratory effects in full time welders include bronchitis, airway irritation, lung function changes, and lung fibrosis. Welder's pneumoconiosis has been generally determined to be benign and not associated with respiratory symptoms based on the absence of pulmonary function abnormalities in welders with marked radiographic abnormalities.(omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.68-83
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• 2003

Welders working in a confined space, like in the shipbuilding industry, are at risk of being exposed to high concentrations of welding fumes and developing pneumoconiosis or other welding-fume exposure related diseases. Among such diseases, manganism resulting from welding-fume exposure remains a controversial issue, as the movement of manganese into specific brain regions has not been clearly established.(omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.72-72
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• 2003

Welders working in a the confined space, like in the shipbuilding industry, are have at risk of being exposed toing a high concentrations of welding fumes and of developing pneumoconiosis or other welding- fume exposure related diseases. Among such diseasesthem, manganism resulting fromcaused by welding- fume exposure remains ais still controversial issue, as the movement ofnd no clear demonstration of manganese movement into the specific brain regions has not been clearly established. (omitted)

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.85-93
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• 2003

Welders working in a confined space, like in the shipbuilding industry, are at risk of being exposed to high concentrations of welding fumes and developing pneumoconiosis or other welding-fume exposure related diseases. Among such diseases, manganism resulting from welding-fume exposure remains a controversial issue, as the movement of manganese into specific brain regions has not been clearly established. Accordingly, to investigate the distribution of manganese in the brain after welding-fume exposure, male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to welding fumes generated from manual metal arc stainless steel (MMA-SS) at concentrations of $63.6{\pm}4.1$ $mg/m^3$ (low dose, containing 1.6 $mg/m^3$ Mn) and $107.1{\pm}6.3$ $mg/m^3$ (high dose, containing 3.5 $mg/m^3$ Mn) total suspended particulates for 2 hrs per day, in an inhalation chamber over a 60-day period. Blood, brain, lungs and liver samples were collected after 2 hr, 15, 30, and 60 days of exposure and the tissues analyzed for their manganese concentrations using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Although dose- and time-dependent increases in the manganese concentrations were found in the lungs and livers of the rats exposed for 60 days, only slight manganese increases were observed in the blood during this period. Major statistically significant increases in the brain manganese concentrations were detected in the cerebellum after 15 days of exposure and up until 60 days. Slight increases in the manganese concentrations were also found in the substantia nigra, basal ganglia (caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus), temporal cortex, and frontal cortex, thereby indicating that the pharmacokinetics and distribution of manganese inhaled from welding fumes would appear to be different from those resulting from manganese-only exposure.