Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(1):32-36 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6805

Health effects of exposure to isocyanates in a car factory

Pavlína Klusáčková1, Šárka Dušková2, Jaroslav Mráz2, Tomáš Navrátil3, Štěpánka Vlčková1, Daniela Pelclová1
1 Department of Occupational Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
2 Centre of Occupational Health, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic
3 J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic

Objectives: Isocyanates are known to induce occupational diseases. The aim of this work was to assess the health effects of exposure to isocyanates and to test the sensitivity of selected parameters for early detection of isocyanate-related allergic diseases.

Methods: In total, 35 employees from one factory were tested: 26 workers exposed to isocyanates (exposed group) and nine office workers (control group). All subjects filled in a questionnaire regarding possible health problems. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and spirometry were measured for each subject at the same time during two consecutive working days. A urine sample was taken for a biological exposure test (BET).

Results: No significant difference was found between the exposed and control groups for spirometry parameters and FeNO. However, in the exposed group, FeNO was highly elevated (> 50 ppb) in five subjects (all reporting health problems at the workplace, all with normal spirometry and non-smokers). The BET revealed a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the exposed and control groups for 4,4´-methylenediphenyl diamine (MDA) in the urine.

Conclusions: Our examination showed the usefulness of the BET in monitoring of workplace exposure to isocyanates and the importance of FeNO in monitoring of allergic inflammation of airways in non-smoking employees with normal spirometry.

Keywords: isocyanates, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, biological exposure test, occupational asthma

Received: March 3, 2021; Revised: March 23, 2022; Accepted: March 23, 2022; Published: March 31, 2022  Show citation

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Klusáčková P, Dušková Š, Mráz J, Navrátil T, Vlčková Š, Pelclová D. Health effects of exposure to isocyanates in a car factory. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2022;30(1):32-36. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a6805. PubMed PMID: 35421296.
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