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Document ID (ISN)109373
CIS number 09-323
ISSN - Serial title 1351-0711 - Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Year 2009
Convention or series no.
Author(s) van Rooy F.G.B.G.J., Smit L.A.M., Houba R., Zaat V.A.C., Rooyackers J.M., Heederik D.J.
Title A cross-sectional study of lung function and respiratory symptoms among chemical workers producing diacetyl for food flavourings
Bibliographic information Feb. 2009, Vol.66, No.2, p.105-110. Illus. 16 ref.
Abstract Four workers of a diacetyl (also known as 2,3-butanedione) plant in the Netherlands were diagnosed with a bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome. This lead to an investigation of exposures, respiratory symptoms, lung function and exposure-response relationships in a cohort of 175 workers having worked at the plant between 1960 and 2003. Lung function and questionnaire data on respiratory symptoms were compared to a general population sample and to an unexposed internal reference group. Compared to the two reference groups, diacetyl exposed workers reported significantly more respiratory symptoms, daily cough and asthma. A relationship between exposure and FEV1 was also observed. The excess of respiratory symptoms in this retrospective cohort suggests that diacetyl production poses an occupational hazard.
Descriptors (primary) chemical industry; ketones; risk factors; respiratory diseases; food additives; 2,3-butanedione
Descriptors (secondary) Netherlands; symptoms; dyspnoea; asthma; respiratory function tests; questionnaire survey; cohort study; cross-sectional study; one-second forced expiratory volume
Document type D - Periodical articles
Country / State or ProvinceNetherlands
Subject(s) Chemicals, plastics and rubber
Broad subject area(s) Chemical safety
Occupational medicine, epidemiology
Browse category(ies) Diseases of the respiratory system (except for pneumoconiosis & similar)
Ketones
Chemical industry