A Health Surveillance Study of Workers Employed at a Copper Smelter-Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Copper on Lung...

Significantly lower permissible occupational exposure limits for copper dust are being discussed in Europe and other jurisdictions. However, little data are published on exposures in occupational settings and copper-specific effects in humans. Hence, a health surveillance study was performed among workers employed at a copper smelter between 1972 and 2018.

Possible effects of long-term exposures to dust containing copper on lung function were assessed. Specifically, declines in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) were compared between a copper-exposed and control group. Cumulative copper exposures were derived from historical airborne monitoring data.

FEV1 declines among exposed and control never smokers were similar to a typical age-dependent decline of 29 mL/y.

The study findings indicate that cumulative inhalable copper dust exposure averaging 4.61 mg/m3-years over an exposure duration of ∼22 years is not associated with adverse effects on lung function.