Annual decline in forced expiratory volume is steeper in aluminum potroom workers than in workers without exposure to potroom fumes

• Published in: American journal of industrial medicine Vol. 59; no. 4; pp. 322 - 329
• Main Authors: Søyseth, Vidar, Henneberger, Paul K., Einvik, Gunnar, Virji, Mohammed Abbas, Bakke, Berit, Kongerud, Johny
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-04-2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; Wiley-Liss Inc; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Air Pollutants, Occupational - adverse effects; Aluminum; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Humans; longitudinal study; Lung - physiopathology; Lung Diseases - etiology; Lung Diseases - physiopathology; lung function; Male; Metallurgy; Middle Aged; mixed model; Norway; Occupational Diseases - etiology; Occupational Diseases - physiopathology; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; potroom exposure; Prospective Studies; smoking; Spirometry; Vital Capacity - physiology; longitudinal study; lung function; aluminum; potroom exposure; mixed model; smoking
• ISSN: 0271-3586; 1097-0274
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22570

Background
Aluminum potroom exposure is associated with increased mortality of COPD but the association between potroom exposure and annual decline in lung function is unknown. We have measured lung volumes annually using spirometry from 1986 to 1996. The objective was to compare annual decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (dFEV1) and forced vital capacity (dFVC).
Methods
The number of aluminum potroom workers was 4,546 (81% males) and the number of workers in the reference group was 651 (76% males). The number of spirometries in the index group and the references were 24,060 and 2,243, respectively.
Results
After adjustment for confounders, the difference in dFEV1 and dFVC between the index and reference groups were 13.5 (P < 0.001) and −8.0 (P = 0.060) ml/year.
Conclusion
Aluminum potroom operators have increased annual decline in FEV1 relative to a comparable group with non‐exposure to potroom fumes and gases. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:322–329, 2016. © 2016 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.