Cross-sectional Study of Workers Employed at a Copper Smelter-Effects of Long-term Exposures to Copper on Lung
Lisa-Marie Haase1, Thomas Birk, Craig A Poland
1From the Ramboll Deutschland GmbH, Essen, Germany (Ms Haase, Mr Birk); Regulatory Compliance Limited, Loanhead, Edinburgh (Dr Poland); Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK (Dr Poland); Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hannover, Germany (Dr Holz, Dr Müller); German Center for Lung Research (DZL, BREATH), Hannover, Germany (Dr Holz); Ramboll US Consulting, Inc, Amherst, Massachusetts (Dr Bachand); Cardno ChemRisk, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Mundt).
Objective:
The aim of the study was to assess the effect of exposure to copper-containing dust on lung function and inflammatory endpoints among workers of a German copper plant, effects rarely studied before.
Methods:
One hundred four copper-exposed smelter workers and 70 referent workers from the precious metal and lead facilities were included, with different metal exposures in both groups due to the different process materials. Body plethysmography, exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurements, and blood sampling were conducted in all workers. Smoking status and the use of respiratory protective equipment were considered. In a subgroup of 40 nonsmoking volunteers (28 copper-exposed and 12 referents), sputum biomarkers were assessed.
Results:
Median lung function values of both copper-exposed and the referent groups were within reference ranges of "healthy" individuals, and statistical differences between the groups were mostly not evident. Similarly, differences in blood and sputum biomarkers were too small to be biologically relevant.
Conclusion:
The results suggest the absence of the detectable effects of copper-containing dust exposure on lung function or chronic inflammation within the investigated cohort.
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