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Dose–response relationships between occupational exposure to potash, diesel exhaust and nitrogen oxides and lung function: cross-sectional and longitudinal study in two salt mines

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Abstract

Objective

Several studies have shown that underground salt miners may have an increased incidence of chest symptoms and sometimes decreased lung function. Miners of two salt mines were investigated to evaluate relationships between the lung function and the workplace exposure. The effect of nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was investigated in view of the recent debate on European occupational exposure limits.

Methods

A total of 410/463 miners (mine A/mine B) were examined cross-sectional and 75/64% of the first cohort were examined after a 5-year period. Exposure was measured by personal sampling. Personal lifetime exposure doses of salt dust, diesel exhaust, NO2 and NO were calculated for all miners. Dose–response relationships were calculated by multiple regression analysis. Each exposure component acted as an indicator for the complex exposure.

Results

Exposure response relationships were shown in the cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations in both mines. In the 5-year period, the adjusted (age, smoking, etc.) effect of the exposure indicators resulted in a mean decrease of FEV1 between −18 ml/year (mine A) and −10 ml/year (mine B). The personal concentrations related to this effect were 12.6/7.1 mg/m³ inhalable dust, 2.4/0.8 mg/m³ respirable dust, 0.09/0.09 mg/m³ diesel exhaust, 0.4/0.5 ppm NO2 and 1.7/1.4 ppm NO (mine A/B). Exposure was related to symptoms of chronic bronchitis only in mine B.

Conclusion

The effects found in both mines indicate that the mixed exposure can cause lung function disorders in salt miners exposed over a long time. Because of the high correlation of the concentrations it was not possible to determine the effects of a single exposure component separately or to recommend a specific occupational exposure limit. However, possible maximum effects associated with the mixed exposure can be evaluated in the ranges of concentrations of the individual substances in the mines.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the miners, which took part in both parts of the study and gave us the possibility to realise a longitudinal investigation. We thank the K + S Aktiengesellschaft (K + S AG), especially Heinrich Sönksen, Klaus Herden, Franz X. Spachtholz, the KALI GmbH and the company medical service, especially Manfred Michl, for support with the organisation of the study. We acknowledge Dirk Dahmann and his coworkers, especially Christian Monz, Institut für Gefahrstoff-Forschung der Bergbau-Berufsgenossenschaft IGF, and Bernd Lindecke (K + S AG) for their commitment to doing the exposure measurements. We thank Gerda Machul, Renate Gowitzke, Barbara Wojtkowiak and Andrea Ott (BAuA) for their cooperation in the clinical investigations and numerous other co-workers for the assistance in the study.

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  1. Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Berlin Office, Germany

    Gabriele Lotz, Sabine Plitzko, Erhardt Gierke, Ulrike Tittelbach, Norbert Kersten & W. Dietmar Schneider

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  1. Gabriele Lotz
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  2. Sabine Plitzko
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  3. Erhardt Gierke
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  4. Ulrike Tittelbach
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  6. W. Dietmar Schneider
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Correspondence to Gabriele Lotz.

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Lotz, G., Plitzko, S., Gierke, E. et al. Dose–response relationships between occupational exposure to potash, diesel exhaust and nitrogen oxides and lung function: cross-sectional and longitudinal study in two salt mines. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 81, 1003–1019 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-007-0294-9

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