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Irritative effects of fumes and aerosols of bitumen on the airways: results of a cross-shift study

  • Organ Toxicity and Mechanisms
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Abstract

Possible health hazards of fumes and aerosols of bitumen are in discussion, and data on their adverse effects on human airways under current exposure conditions are limited. To assess the irritative effects of exposure to fumes and aerosols of bitumen on the airways, a cross-sectional cross-shift study was conducted including external and internal exposure measurements, spirometry and especially non-invasive methods like nasal lavage collection and induction of sputum in order to identify and evaluate more precisely inflammatory process in the upper and lower airways. The cross-shift study comprised 74 mastic asphalt workers who were exposed to fumes and aerosols of bitumen and 49 construction workers without this exposure as reference group. Questionnaire, spirometry, ambient monitoring and urinary analysis were performed. Humoral and cellular parameters were measured in nasal lavage fluid (NALF) and induced sputum. For data analysis, a mixed linear model was performed on the different outcomes with exposure group, time of measurement (pre-, post-shift), current smoking, German nationality and age as fixed factors and subjects as random factor. Based on personal exposure measurements during shift, mastic asphalt workers were classified into a low (≤10 mg/m3; n = 46) and a high (>10 mg/m3; n = 28) exposure group. High exposure was accompanied by significant higher urinary post-shift concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene and the sum of hydroxyphenanthrenes. Acute respiratory symptoms were reported more frequently in the high exposure group after shift. Significant cross-shift declines in lung function parameters (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1 (% predicted)] and forced vital capacity [FVC (% predicted)]) were measured in mastic asphalt workers. Pre-shift FEV1 (% predicted) and FVC (% predicted) were higher in the low exposure group. In pre- and post-shift NALF samples, interleukin (IL)-1β-, IL-8- and total protein concentrations were lower in the low exposure group compared to the reference and the high exposure group. Pre- and post-shift neutrophil percentages in both nasal and sputum samples were also lower in the low exposure group. Significantly higher pre- and post-shift sputum concentrations of IL-8, IL-6, nitrogen oxide (NO) derivatives and total protein were detected especially in highly exposed workers. Irritative effects of exposure to fumes and aerosols of bitumen on the upper and lower airways were apparent, especially in mastic asphalt workers with exposure above 10 mg/m3.

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Abbreviations

IL:

Interleukin

NALF:

Nasal lavage fluid

NO:

Nitrogen oxide

1-OHP:

1-Hydroxypyrene

OHPH:

Sum of 1-,2+9-,3,4-hydroxyphenanthrens

FVC:

Forced vital capacity

FEV1 :

Forced expiratory volume in 1 s

n.s.:

Not significant

P :

Probability

PAH:

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

r s :

Spearman rank correlation coefficients

TNFα:

Tumor necrose factor α

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Acknowledgements

We thank Anne Flagge, Anja Dueker, Gerda Borowitzki, Susanne Freundt, Heike Stubel and Helga Hut for their skilful technical assistance and/or the data entry. We further would like to acknowledge Dr. Gerd Zoubek for coordinating the ambient monitoring on the construction sites. The study was supported by the HVBG (Central Federation of the Statutory Accident Insurance Institutions in Industry and Trade; BGFA projects Imm 13), St. Augustin, Germany and the BG BAU (Prevention Tiefbau), Munich, Germany. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ruhr-University Bochum and was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Berufsgenossenschaftliches Forschungsinstitut für Arbeitsmedizin (BGFA), Institut der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany

    Monika Raulf-Heimsoth, Beate Pesch, Martin Kappler, Boleslaw Marczynski, Hans Peter Rihs, Rolf Merget & Thomas Brüning

  2. Berufsgenossenschaft der Bauwirtschaft (BG BAU), Munich, Germany

    Klaus Schott

  3. Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin (IPASUM), Universität Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany

    Ralf Preuss & Jürgen Angerer

  4. Berufsgenossenschaftliches Institut für Arbeitsschutz (BGIA), Sankt Augustin, Germany

    Jens Uwe Hahn

Authors
  1. Monika Raulf-Heimsoth
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  2. Beate Pesch
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  3. Klaus Schott
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  4. Martin Kappler
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  7. Jürgen Angerer
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  8. Hans Peter Rihs
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  9. Jens Uwe Hahn
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  10. Rolf Merget
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  11. Thomas Brüning
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Correspondence to Monika Raulf-Heimsoth.

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Raulf-Heimsoth, M., Pesch, B., Schott, K. et al. Irritative effects of fumes and aerosols of bitumen on the airways: results of a cross-shift study. Arch Toxicol 81, 35–44 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-006-0115-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-006-0115-z

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