PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Biocca

Publications and source records attributed to M Biocca.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Mortality of short-term workers in two international cohorts.

The purpose of this study was to compare the pattern of mortality of blue-collar workers employed less and more than 1 year in the man-made vitreous fiber (MMVF) and the reinforced plastic industries, the latter group being exposed to styrene. We conducted an analysis among 21,784 workers with less than 1 year of employment (short-term workers) and 19,117 workers with 1 or more years of employment (long-term workers) employed in eight European countries. We conducted analyses based on external as well as internal comparisons. In both cohorts, the standardized mortality ratio for all causes among short-term workers was approximately 40% higher, compared with that for longer-term workers. In internal comparisons, the difference was reduced to 9% in the MMVF cohort and 11% in the styrene cohort. Workers with less than 1 month of employment displayed an increased mortality in both cohorts and in most countries. The increased mortality among short-term workers was not concentrated shortly after they quit employment. In both cohorts, short-term workers had a higher mortality from external causes, while little difference was seen in mortality from ischemic heart disease and malignant neoplasms. Although extra-occupational factors may contribute to increase the mortality of short-term workers and, in particular, of those employed for less than 1 month, the difference observed in analyses adjusted for characteristics of employment suggested a relatively small difference in mortality from most causes.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Exposure to styrene and mortality from nervous system diseases and mental disorders.

Chronic low-dose exposure to solvents has been associated in epidemiologic studies with chronic neurotoxicity, but the evidence is not consistent. Styrene causes acute disturbances in the central and peripheral nervous systems. To determine if exposure to styrene may contribute to chronic diseases of the central nervous system, the authors examined mortality from nervous system diseases, mental disorders, and suicide in relation to styrene exposure in an international historical cohort study. The cohort involved 35,443 workers employed during 1945-1991 in the reinforced plastics industry, where high exposures to styrene occur. Indicators of exposure were reconstructed through job histories and environmental and biologic monitoring data. Poisson regression was used for internal comparisons. Mortality from diseases of the central nervous system (27 deaths) increased with time since first exposure, duration of exposure, average level of exposure, and cumulative exposure to styrene. A quadratic model described best the dose-response shape for cumulative exposure and duration of exposure with the highest risks at around 300 ppm-years and 5 years, respectively, and a subsequent decrease in risk in the highest exposure categories. Mortality from epilepsy increased monotonically with all styrene exposure indicators, while associations for degenerative diseases of the central nervous system were generally weaker. Mortality from mental disorders and suicide decreased with increasing duration of exposure and cumulative exposure, while there was no trend with time since first exposure and average exposure to styrene. These findings suggest that, in addition to the known acute effects, exposure to styrene may contribute to chronic diseases of the central nervous system.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed1996

Exposure to styrene and mortality from nonmalignant respiratory diseases.

A cohort of 34,560 men and 6128 women employed in 660 European factories manufacturing reinforced plastic products, followed up originally to assess the risk of cancer, was used to assess the risk of non-malignant respiratory diseases associated with exposure to styrene. Mortality from pneumonia was associated with intensity of exposure to styrene, but this may have been due to chance. Mortality from bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma was not associated with styrene exposure.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed1996

Exposure to styrene and mortality from nonmalignant diseases of the genitourinary system.

OBJECTIVES: A historical cohort study was carried out to investigate mortality from nonmalignant diseases of the genitourinary system among workers in the reinforced plastics industry, where high workroom concentrations of styrene are encountered. METHODS: The external comparisons in this report were based on an average of 12.6 years of retrospective follow-up of 35 443 workers who were first employed in the reinforced plastics industry during 1945-1991 and were known to have been exposed to styrene in their work. For the internal comparisons, 2641 subjects with incomplete occupational histories were excluded, leaving 32 802 subjects. Previous individual exposure histories to styrene were reconstructed through job histories and environmental and biological monitoring data. RESULTS: Mortality from nonmalignant diseases of the genitourinary system (N = 20) was associated with average exposure to styrene (P for trend 0.05). Weaker increasing trends in risk were seen for time since first exposure and cumulative exposure, while no increase was identified for duration of exposure. There was a significant increasing trend in mortality from nephritis and nephrosis (N = 5), associated with an increasing average level of exposure to styrene (P for trend 0.03). No clear trend was observed for time since first exposure, duration of exposure, or cumulative exposure. CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort study of workers exposed to styrene, mortality from nonmalignant diseases of the genitourinary system increased as the average intensity of exposure increased. This finding indicates that other data should be scrutinized.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1995

[Air pollution and health risk communication].

The risk communication processes concerning atmospheric pollution and health effects in Modena, Reggio Emilia and Bologna, are described from the public health service point of view. The description includes the chronological developments, the principal events which influenced, or have been influenced by these risk communication processes, their most significant and critical aspects. Finally the air quality evaluation and its impact on risk communication is discussed.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1994

Cancer mortality in a historical cohort study of workers exposed to styrene.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine whether exposure to styrene is associated with an increased risk for neoplasms of the lymphatic and hematopoietic tissues. METHODS: A historical cohort study was conducted in Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It involved 40,688 workers ever employed in the reinforced plastics industry, where high exposure to styrene occurs. Exposure to styrene was reconstructed through job histories and environmental and biological monitoring data. Cause-specific national death rates were used as the reference. Poisson regression was applied for internal comparisons. RESULTS: Among the exposed workers, no excess was observed for mortality from all neoplasms. Mortality from neoplasms of the lymphatic and hematopoietic tissues increased with time since first exposure and average level of exposure to styrene, but was not consistently associated with duration of exposure or with cumulative exposure. CONCLUSIONS: These findings leave open the possibility of an excess risk of neoplasms of the lymphatic and hematopoietic tissues among workers exposed to styrene.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed1993

Biological monitoring of styrene in the reinforced plastics industry in Emilia Romagna, Italy.

Biological monitoring of styrene exposure among workers in the reinforced plastics industry is widely implemented in the region of Emilia Romagna, Italy. More than 18,000 urine samples measurements of the main metabolites of styrene, mandelic (MA) and phenylglyoxylic acid, were retrieved for the period 1978-1990, and 4689 values of MA in postshift urine samples were analyzed for various variables thought to influence styrene exposure. The job performed was found to be the most important predictor of styrene exposure. Hand laminators had the highest exposure (mean MA 682 mg/g creatinine); spray laminators showed lower values (404 mg/g), while levels in semiautomatic process operators (243 mg/g) were only slightly higher than in nonprocess workers (186 mg/g). The use of ventilation resulted in lower exposure, but differences in average values were not particularly wide. Exposure decreased weakly during the study period in all work categories, but the percentage of measurements exceeding the current biological limit value (900 mg/g creatinine, 1300 mg/l corrected for density) is still very high (20% of measurements among hand laminators in 1990). These results indicate that the control measures implemented are only partially effective for the prevention of styrene exposure.

Automation↗
PubMed1993

Cancer mortality in an international cohort of workers exposed to styrene.

Increased risks for leukaemia and lymphoma have been suggested in studies of workers exposed to styrene in the rubber and plastics industry. A historical cohort study was conducted in Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom involving 40,683 workers employed in the reinforced plastics industry, where high exposure to styrene occurs. Exposure to styrene was reconstructed through job histories, environmental and biological monitoring data and production records of the plants in the study. Cause-specific national death rates were used as the reference. Among exposed workers, no excess was observed for mortality from all causes (2195 deaths, standardized mortality ratio [SMR], 95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 91-99), from all neoplasms, from lung cancer or from other major epithelial cancers. Mortality from neoplasms of the lymphatic and haematopoietic tissues was not elevated (50 deaths; SMR, 96; CI, 71-126) and was not consistently associated with length of exposure. The rate of mortality from leukaemias and lymphomas increased with time since first exposure. Among subjects who had been exposed for more than one year, a two-fold risk was observed 20 years after first exposure (eight deaths; SMR, 197; CI, 85-387). These results are inadequate to exclude the possibility that styrene causes leukaemia and lymphoma.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed1987

Recent developments in occupational health policy in Italy.

On two occasions in the past, Italy has been in a leading position regarding occupational health: in 1700, thanks to work carried out by Dr. B. Ramazzini, and at the beginning of this century, with the founding of the first "Clinica del Lavoro" in Milan. Experience with and considerations of the interaction between the workplace, society as a whole, and the various institutions in the field of occupational health have played an important role in the general political discussion since the 1960s. In this article, we describe the effects of the workers' model of inquiry into health hazards on work organization, the National Health Service, workers' health conditions, and the scientific milieu. We also provide an analysis of present conditions and difficulties, particularly with regard to environmental problems and perspectives.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1985

Mortality studies of dockyard workers (longshoremen) in Italy.

A polycentric mortality study was performed in five Italian harbours: Savona, Marina di Carrara, Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Ravenna. The cohort included active and retired workers (longshoremen), who had been employed between 1960 and 1981. Causes of death were ascertained from death certificates; expected numbers of deaths were generated from age, sex, calendar year, and cause-specific national mortality rates. A low overall mortality was found, which is in agreement with procedures of health selection, typical of physically demanding jobs; an excess of lung cancer was, however, found in four out of five harbours.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

The subcellular distribution and properties of aldehyde dehydrogenase of hepatoma AH-130.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase subcellular distribution and activity were studied in the Yoshida hepatoma AH-130 and rat liver. NAD+- and NADP+-dependent dehydrogenase activities were lower in all hepatoma subfractions (except the cytosol) than in liver subfractions. In the presence of 0.025 mM substrate 78-80% of the liver NAD+- or NADP+-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase was found in the mitochondria. With 10 mM substrate the enzyme activity was primarily in the mitochondria and microsomes. In the hepatoma a sharp increase of the soluble aldehyde dehydrogenase (either NAD+- or NADP+ dependent) was observed at all substrate concentrations. The Km of the different isoenzymes (either identified by their localization or coenzyme dependency) were of the same order for liver and hepatoma. However, a high Km enzyme was present in liver mitochondria outer membranes but not in hepatoma. Hepatoma acetaldehyde dehydrogenase was inhibited, as was the liver enzyme, by diethyldithiocarbamate. The return of activity was slower for the hepatoma and neonatal liver than for the adult liver enzyme.

Acetaldehyde↗