Exposure-Response Relationship and Risk Assessment for Cognitive Deficits in Early Welding-Induced Manganism

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bowler RM ; Park RM ; Roels HA
• Description:
  Objective: The exposure-response relationship for manganese (Mn)-induced adverse nervous system effects is not well described. Symptoms and neuropsychological deficits associated with early manganism, were previously reported for welders constructing bridge piers during 2003 to 2004. A reanalysis using improved exposure, work history information, and diverse exposure metrics is presented here. Methods: Ten neuropsychological performance measures were examined, including working memory index (WMI), verbal intelligence quotient, design fluency, Stroop color word test, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, and Auditory Consonant Trigram tests. AN blood levels and air sampling data in the form of both personal and area samples were available. The exposure metrics used were cumulative exposure to Mn, body burden assuming simple first-order kinetics for Mn elimination, and cumulative burden (effective dose). Benchmark doses were calculated. Results. Burden with a half-life of about 150 days was the best predictor of blood Mn. WMI performance declined by 3.6 (normal = 100, SD = 15),for each 1.0 mg/m(3) X mo exposure (P = 0.02, one toiled). A I the group mean exposure metric (burden; half-life = 275 days), WMI performance was at the lowest 17th percentile of normal, and at the maximum observed metric, performance was at the lowest 2.5 percentiles. Four other outcomes also exhibited statistically significant associations (verbal intelligence quotient, verbal comprehension index, design fluency, Stroop color word test); no dose-rate effect was observed for three of the five outcomes. Conclusions: A risk assessment performed for the five stronger effects, choosing various percentiles of normal performance to represent impairment, identified benchmark doses for a 2-year exposure leading to 5% excess impairment prevalence in the range of 0.03 to 0.15 mg/m3, or 30 to 150 µg/m3, total Mn in air, levels that are far below those permitted by current occupational standards. More than one-third of workers would be impaired after working 2 years at 0.2 mg/m3 Mn (the current threshold limit value). [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biochemistry Biological Factors Blood Chemistry Construction Industry Environmental Monitoring Hazardous Substances Hematologic Tests Hypersensitivity Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Welding Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Biological-effects Biological-factors Biological-systems Blood-sampling Blood-tests Chemical-hypersensitivity Chemical-reactions Construction-workers Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Exposure-methods Health-hazards Neurophysiological-effects Occupational-exposure Occupational-hazards Occupational-health Psychological-effects Psychological-reactions Psychological-testing Risk-factors Statistical-analysis Welders Work-operations Work-performance Work-practices Worker-health Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EID - Education and Information Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  51
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20036029
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2009 Oct; 51(10):1125-1136
• Contact Point Address:
  Robert M. Park, MSc, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Education and Information Division, MS C-15, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  rhp9@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Magnesium (CAS RN 7439-95-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2010
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:31a71c2767eb27ef0d8bd4e974a4623e4f3f82d7e976102dad5579e44e2b4c400a1d94e06d2474920015503ac11df763d1a63003299d659e3ac25d582e826182
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/187640/cdc_187640_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 201.13 KB ]