DSpace Repository

The effect of mineral oil exposure on metal workers at a large engineering plant in Bloemfontein, South Africa

Show simple item record

dc.contributor.author Deonarine, Darren Chad.
dc.contributor.other Bloemfontein: Central University of Technology, Free State
dc.date.accessioned 2017-04-06T12:38:44Z
dc.date.available 2017-04-06T12:38:44Z
dc.date.issued 1999
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/11462/881
dc.description Thesis en_US
dc.description.abstract Adverse and chronic pulmonary health effects have been associated with workers exposed to various types of metal working fluids (MWF's). Within South Africa there is a lack of research dealing with specific agents in MWF's which may be the source of pulmonary health problems. This occupational health study deals with the acute pulmonary health effects ofMWF's among metal workers employed by an engineering company in South Africa. A cross-sectional population of341 machine workers was sampled for full shift personal exposures to MWF's according to a modified National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Method (NI0SH) Number 0500. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV,) tests were completed before and after the worker's shift according to manoeuvers dictated by the American Thoracic Society (A TS). A written health survey comprised from the British Medical Research Council and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases questionnaire, was utilised to determine the worker's present health condition during the study. Personal inhalation exposures were lower than the current 1999 American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value (ACGIH TLV) of 5 mg/m3 (mean = 1.04 mg/m3 , arithmetic standard deviation = 2.0). However, increasing personal exposures to MWF's were positively correlated to decreases in FEV, (plant 1: r = 0.96, Plant 2: r = 0.94, Plant 3: r = 0.97). The change in FEV, of nonsmoking workers exposed to MWF's was significantly different in comparison to unexposed nonsmoking workers (ANOVA, P = 0.05, n = 297). Similarly, nonsmoking workers who were exposed to MWF's with higher fractions of triethanolamine (TEA) and diethanolamine (DEA) had greater decreases in FEV, (ANOV A, P = 0.02, n = 183). Workers who were current smokers and exposed to MWF's experienced the highest decreases in FEV, in comparison to exposed nonsmoking workers (ANOV A, P = 0.05, n = 341). Workers exposed to the four types of MWF' s experienced a logarithmic dose-response to the decrease in FEV,. This dose-response was explained with a mathematical equation for each MWF type. Permissible safe limits derived from these equations (MWF Type l: 1.70 mglm' , MWF Type 2: 0.41 mglm', MWF Type 3: 0.29 mglm' and MWF Type 4: 0.D35 mglm') reflect the validity ofNIOSH's recommendation of a safe exposure limit of 0.5 mglm'- It is concluded that workers who are exposed to MWF's, experience acute decreases in FEY,. Similarly, workers who are smokers and exposed to TEA- and DEA MWF's experience the greatest decrease in FEY,. Engineering controls, and use of highly refined MWF's containing no DEA and TEA were recommended to the engineering company. en_US
dc.format.extent Application/PDF
dc.language.iso en_US en_US
dc.publisher Bloemfontein: Central University of Technology, Free State
dc.subject Industrial toxicology en_US
dc.subject Industrial hygiene en_US
dc.subject Occupational diseases en_US
dc.title The effect of mineral oil exposure on metal workers at a large engineering plant in Bloemfontein, South Africa en_US
dc.type Thesis en_US
dc.rights.holder Central University of Technology, Free State
dc.rights.holder Central University of Technology, Free State


Files in this item

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record

Search DSpace


Browse

My Account