A Cohort Study on Self-Reported Respiratory Symptoms of Toner-Handling Workers : Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis from 2003 to 2008

الملخص EN

This study examines the relationship between toner-handling work and its health effects on self-reported respiratory symptoms.

The subjects were 1,504 male workers in a Japanese toner and photocopier manufacturing company.

Personal exposure measurement, pulmonary function tests, chest X-ray examination, measurement of biomarkers, and a questionnaire about self-reported respiratory symptoms were performed annually.

This study discusses the questionnaire results.

We found that the toner-handling group showed significantly higher prevalence of breathlessness than the never-toner-handling group.

The significant reduction of pulmonary function and fibrosis change in the chest X-ray examination associated with breathlessness were not observed.

However the morbidity of asthma was higher compared to the Japanese population in both of the toner-handling group and the never-toner handling group, the effect of toner exposure was not clarified.

Nevertheless, while the toner exposure levels in the current well-controlled working environment may be sufficiently low to prevent adverse health effects, further studies are needed to assess the more long-term latent health effects of toner exposure.