Bakke B, Ulvestad B, Stewart P, Lund M B, Eduard W
National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
Scand J Work Environ Health. 2001 Aug;27(4):250-7. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.612.
This study attempts to determine the effects of exposure to blasting fumes and its influence on the lung function of tunnel workers.
Two groups of tunnel workers, one using ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) as the explosive and the other using size-sensitized emulsion (SSE), with 24 workers per group, were compared with a reference group (N=34) with low exposure. Spirometry was used to determine lung function. Personal exposure to total and respirable dust, alpha-quartz, volatile organic compounds, oil mist and vapors, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide was measured.
The ANFO workers were more exposed to all the agents than the reference group and more exposed than the SSE workers to all the agents except total dust and carbon monoxide. The SSE workers were significantly more exposed to total dust and alpha-quartz than the reference group. High peak exposures to nitrogen dioxide (up to 20 ppm) occurred for the ANFO workers in contrast to the SSE workers, whose exposure did not exceed 2 ppm. The lung function of the ANFO workers significantly decreased by 3% for forced vital capacity, 7% for forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and 8% for forced expiratory flow rate from 25% to 75% of the forced vital capacity over the 11-day period. The changes were reversible. There were no significant changes among the SSE workers and the outdoor workers. The ANFO workers had a significant decrease in FEV1.0 when compared with both the SSE and outdoor workers.
Tunnel workers using ANFO explosive show a temporary reduction in lung function, whereas those using SSE do not. The most likely explanation for the observed changes is peak exposures to nitrogen dioxide.
本研究旨在确定接触爆破烟雾的影响及其对隧道工人肺功能的作用。
两组隧道工人，一组使用硝酸铵燃油（ANFO）作为炸药，另一组使用高威力乳胶炸药（SSE），每组24名工人，与低暴露的参照组（N = 34）进行比较。采用肺量计测定肺功能。测量个人对总尘、可吸入粉尘、α-石英、挥发性有机化合物、油雾和蒸汽、甲醛、二氧化氮和一氧化碳的暴露情况。
与参照组相比，使用ANFO的工人对所有污染物的暴露程度更高，且除总粉尘和一氧化碳外，使用ANFO的工人对所有污染物的暴露程度均高于使用SSE的工人。与参照组相比，使用SSE的工人对总粉尘和α-石英的暴露程度显著更高。与SSE工人不同，ANFO工人的二氧化氮峰值暴露量高达20 ppm，而SSE工人的暴露量不超过2 ppm。在11天的时间里，ANFO工人的肺功能显著下降，用力肺活量下降3%，1秒用力呼气量下降7%，用力肺活量25%至75%时的用力呼气流量下降8%。这些变化是可逆的。SSE工人和户外工人之间没有显著变化。与SSE工人和户外工人相比，ANFO工人的1秒用力呼气量显著下降。
使用ANFO炸药的隧道工人肺功能出现暂时下降，而使用SSE炸药的工人则没有。观察到的变化最可能的解释是二氧化氮的峰值暴露。
