Biomedical subjects

W A Fishbeck

Publications and source records attributed to W A Fishbeck.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1979

An effective hearing conservation program.

In a major chemical producing complex, noise problems of all kinds are encountered. One complex of The Dow Chemical Company, the Michigan Division, has approached this problem by setting up a Hearing Conservation Committee consisting of various disciplines: Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Medical, Engineering, and Production. This committee reviews each plant's Hearing Conservation Program bi-annually until all equivalent exposure ratios are less than one. Audiometric data is entered on a computer for rapid evaluation of periodic audiograms.

Engineering↗

PubMed1978

Effects of chronic occupational exposure to measured concentrations of benzene.

All ten employees have a history of exposure to benzene which exceeded a 25 ppm, eight-hour TWA for several years. For five of these employees this exposure level started over 20 years ago. One employee's high exposure level started over 35 years ago. All ten employees had their initial high exposure to benzene more than 16 years ago. At one period (late 1963 and early 1964) all ten employees had alterations in their peripheral blood studies, evidenced by an increase in MCV. Some of the employees had slight reduction of hemoglobin levels. No other significant blood or bone marrow abnormalities were evident. A mortality study, for the years 1940 to 1973, of 594 employees chronically exposed to benzene at the Midland, Mich., Dow location has recently been accepted for publication. This study was followed by a morbidity study of 282 employees, which were a subset of the employees in the mortality study. The morbidity study was based on health data obtained between 1967 and 1974. The ten employees described in this article were included in both the mortality study population of 594 employees and the morbidity study of the 282 employees.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed1978

Health exam findings among individuals occupationally exposed to benzene.

We previously conducted a cohort mortality study of 594 individuals occupationally exposed to measured concentrations of benzene. This report presents health examination findings for a subset of 282 men from the larger group. Although slight decreases in mean total bilirubin and RBC values were detected statistically in comparing the exposed group to controls, these changes were not regarded as clinically significant. No correlations were found between peripheral blood counts and latency, duration or intensity of benzene exposure. Presently we have no indication from our data of adverse effects of benzene having occurred in our subset. Variation in latency among individuals and the possibility of subtle changes effecting an eventual pattern contribute to the need for continued surveillance.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed1976

Elevated urinary phenol levels in beagle dogs treated with salol.

Dogs administered 500 or 250 mg of salol/kg/day showed transient toxicity of a reversible nature. Doses of 125 mg salol/kg/day caused no discernible ill effects in spite of urinary phenol levels elevated as high as 6144 ppm. It appears as if exposure to a compound other than benzene can cause an elevation of urinary phenol.

Animals↗

PubMed1976

A health study of employees exposed to vinylidene chloride.

Previous studies have reported on employee populations exposed coincidentally to vinylidene chloride in copolymer processes using vinyl chloride. The current study examines the mortality and health examination findings of 138 employees exposed to measured levels of vinylidene chloride where vinyl chloride was not used as a copolymer. There were no findings statistically related or individually attributable to vinylidene chloride exposure in this employee population. It is recommended that additional epidemiological studies be undertaken to develop data on chronic exposure to vinylidene chloride.

Alanine Transaminase↗

PubMed1975

Hearing sensitivity in rural Michigan.

In a survey of the hearing sensitivity of a rural mid-Michigan population, 1,325 adults over 15 years of age received pure tone air conduction tests in a "mini" IAC room housed in a small trailer. In addition, a detailed questionnaire was administered to each person to obtain information about his exposure to noise vocationally and avocationally, family history of hearing loss, etc. Results indicated that, on the average, individuals displayed hearing losses considerably greater than was predicted on the basis of presbycusis alone. Also, people who had never had any industrial noise exposure had thresholds almost as poor as those who had worked in factories. These findings are discussed in view of the subject's exposure to various types of nonoccupational noise such as snowmobiles and motorcycles.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Elevated urinary phenol levels not related to benzene exposure.

Two common over-the-counter medications may elevate urinary phenol to levels exceeding 75 mg/liter (ppm). This study presents data indicating that it is invalid to correct urinary phenol levels to specific gravity of 1.024. Animal studies indicate that having elevated urinary phenol levels secondary to phenyl salicylate ingestion are not harmful.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mortality among individuals occupationally exposed to benzene.

The mortality experience of 594 individuals occupationally exposed to benzene was investigated using a retrospective cohort design. Three hundred thirty-five of the employees began working in benzene areas prior to 1950, which provided a sound data base from which to examine latency. Data derived from work histories and industrial hygiene records permitted estimation of exposure intensities and cumulative dosages for each employee. No mortalities directly attributable to benzene exposure were observed. Several cases of leukemia and other blood disorders were noted and discussed.

Anemia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A smoking cessation incentive program for chemical employees: design and evaluation.

Worksite smoking cessation intervention programs have become increasingly popular, although program evaluations are often unavailable. In 1984, the Texas Operations of Dow Chemical USA offered a Smoking Cessation Incentive Program (SCIP) to its employees. SCIP was a highly publicized, upbeat program that had the active support of management and union. Altogether, 7,516 employees (95.4% of all employees) were surveyed about their smoking habits; 28.3% identified themselves as smokers. A total of 1,113 employees voluntarily enrolled in SCIP from March 1, 1984, through March 1, 1985. Smoking cessation methods included a buddy program, nicotine-containing chewing gum, American Lung Association self-help material and group clinics, and incentive prizes. SCIP registrants, compared to employees identified as smokers in a pre-program survey who did not participate in SCIP, were significantly (P less than .01) more often females, whites, administrators, professionals, heavier smokers, and smokers who had tried to quit at least two times prior to SCIP. There were 326 (29.3%) SCIP participants who quit smoking for at least one month during SCIP. A total of 265 (23.8%) succeeded at quitting for at least six months and remained ex-smokers at the end of the program. Logistic regression analysis showed administrators had significantly higher six-month or more rates of quitting than did professionals, craftsmen, operators or clerical workers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Chemical Industry↗