Ross John A S, Macdiarmid Jennifer I, Semple Sean, Watt Stephen J, Moir Gill, Henderson George
Scottish Centre for Indoor Air, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Section of Population Health, University of Aberdeen School of Medicine and Dentistry Polwarth Building Foresterhill Aberdeen AB25 2ZD UK.
Ann Occup Hyg. 2013 Jan;57(1):26-33. doi: 10.1093/annhyg/mes042. Epub 2012 Jul 4.
Prevalence of moderate to severe cognitive symptoms is markedly higher in UK professional divers who have also worked as a welder (28%) than in either divers who have not welded (18%) or offshore workers who have worked neither as a diver nor as a welder (6%).
To determine whether cognitive symptoms are related to welding fume exposure or diving.
Three age-matched groups of male workers were studied using postal questionnaire: professional divers who had worked as a welder (PDW, n = 361), professional welders who had not dived (NDW, n = 352), and offshore oil field workers who had neither dived nor welded (NDNW, n =503). Health-related quality of life was assessed by the Short Form 12 questionnaire (SF12). Cognitive symptomatology was assessed using the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ). A single variable for welding fume exposure (mg m(-3) days) was calculated, incorporating welding experience in different environments and using different welding techniques and respiratory protective equipment. The level of fume exposure during hyperbaric welding operations was measured during such work as ambient PM(10) (particles of 10 µm or less). Diving exposure was assessed as the number of dives performed plus the number of days spent working during saturation diving.
Questionnaires were returned by 153 PDW, 108 NDW, and 252 NDNW. SF12 scores were the same in all groups and fell within normative values. Mean (95% CI) CFQ scores were higher in PDW [40.3 (37.7-42.9)] than in both NDW [34.6 (31.6-37.7)] and NDNW [32.1 (30.4-33.9)], but the scores in no groups fell outside the normative range. The mean PM(10) exposure during hyperbaric welding operations was 2.58 mg m(-3). The geometric mean mg m(-3) days (95% CI) for welding fume exposure in NDW [33 128 (24 625-44 567) n = 85] was higher than for that in PDW [10 904 (8103-14 673) n = 112]. For PDW the geometric mean (95% CI) diving exposure was 1491 [(1192-1866) n = 94] dives and days in saturation. In the general linear model regression analyses adjusted for age, alcohol consumption, and somatization, there was no signification association of CFQ score with either welding fume exposure (F = 0.072, P = 0.79, n = 152) or diving exposure (F = 0.042, P = 0.84, n = 74).
In conclusion, cognitive sympomatology was not related to retrospectively assessed measures of welding fume exposure or diving experience. In addition, the levels of cognitive symptomatology, even in PDW, did not exceed normative values.
在英国，曾从事焊接工作的职业潜水员中，中度至重度认知症状的患病率（28%）明显高于未从事焊接工作的潜水员（18%）以及既未从事潜水工作也未从事焊接工作的海上作业人员（6%）。
确定认知症状是否与焊接烟尘暴露或潜水有关。
使用邮政问卷对三组年龄匹配的男性工人进行研究：曾从事焊接工作的职业潜水员（PDW，n = 361）、未从事潜水工作的职业焊工（NDW，n = 352）以及既未从事潜水工作也未从事焊接工作的海上油田工人（NDNW，n = 503）。通过简短健康调查问卷（SF12）评估与健康相关的生活质量。使用认知失误问卷（CFQ）评估认知症状。计算一个焊接烟尘暴露的单一变量（mg m⁻³ 天），纳入在不同环境下的焊接经验、使用的不同焊接技术以及呼吸防护设备。在高压焊接作业期间，测量环境中 PM₁₀（直径为 10 微米或更小的颗粒）作为烟尘暴露水平。潜水暴露量通过潜水次数加上饱和潜水期间的工作天数来评估。
153 名 PDW、108 名 NDW 和 252 名 NDNW 返回了问卷。所有组的 SF12 得分相同且在正常范围内。PDW 的平均（95%可信区间）CFQ 得分[40.3（37.7 - 42.9）]高于 NDW[34.6（31.6 - 37.7）]和 NDNW[32.1（30.4 - 33.9）]，但所有组的得分均未超出正常范围。高压焊接作业期间的平均 PM₁₀ 暴露量为 2.58 mg m⁻³。NDW[33128（24625 - 44567）n = 85]的焊接烟尘暴露几何平均（mg m⁻³ 天）（95%可信区间）高于 PDW[10904（8103 - 14673）n = 112]。对于 PDW，几何平均（95%可信区间）潜水暴露量为 1491[（1192 - 1866）n = 94]次潜水和饱和潜水天数。在针对年龄、饮酒量和躯体化进行调整的一般线性模型回归分析中，CFQ 得分与焊接烟尘暴露（F = 0.072，P = 0.79，n = 152）或潜水暴露（F = 0.042，P = 0.84，n = 74）均无显著关联。
总之，认知症状与回顾性评估的焊接烟尘暴露或潜水经验无关。此外，即使是在 PDW 组中，认知症状水平也未超过正常范围。
