Koksal Nurhan, Hasanoglu Hatice Canan, Gokirmak Munire, Yildirim Zeki, Gultek Ahmet
Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
Am J Ind Med. 2003 Apr;43(4):447-53. doi: 10.1002/ajim.10199.
Several cases of bronchial asthma have been presenting with acute attacks during the seasons of apricot sulfurization. The aim of this study was to reveal the effects of sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) exposure on the airways of the workers involved in this process.
SO(2) levels in air were measured on 15 apricot farms, while the symptom scores of 69 workers were recorded before, during, and after SO(2) exposure. Physical examination and pulmonary function tests (PFT) of the workers were also done prior to and after exposure periods.
The measured SO(2) concentrations ranged between 106.6 and 721.0 ppm. Dyspnea (80%), cough (78%), and eye and nose irritation (83-70%) were the most commonly observed symptoms. The workers had significant decreases in pulmonary functions after SO(2) exposure. Decrements in FEV(1), FEV(1)/FVC%, and FEF(25-75%) showed that the acute effect of SO(2) on pulmonary functions of the workers was mostly of obstructive pattern.
Acute exposure to SO(2) induces "asthma-like syndrome" (ALS) in apricot sulfurization workers. SO(2) which has not been previously reported in agricultural environments as a cause of ALS may be considered as a new agent.
几例支气管哮喘患者在杏子硫化季节出现急性发作。本研究的目的是揭示接触二氧化硫（SO₂）对参与该过程的工人气道的影响。
在15个杏子农场测量空气中的SO₂水平，同时记录69名工人在接触SO₂之前、期间和之后的症状评分。在接触期前后还对工人进行了体格检查和肺功能测试（PFT）。
测得的SO₂浓度在106.6至721.0 ppm之间。最常观察到的症状是呼吸困难（80%）、咳嗽（78%）以及眼睛和鼻子刺激（83 - 70%）。接触SO₂后，工人们的肺功能显著下降。第一秒用力呼气容积（FEV₁）、FEV₁/用力肺活量（FVC）%和25% - 75%用力呼气流量（FEF₂₅₋₇₅%）的下降表明，SO₂对工人肺功能的急性影响主要呈阻塞性模式。
急性接触SO₂可在杏子硫化工人中诱发“哮喘样综合征”（ALS）。此前在农业环境中尚未报道SO₂可作为ALS的病因，它可能被视为一种新的致病因素。
