الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 176 |  |  |
| | | from | 176 | | |
Abstract
The welding activities may result in adverse health effects due to associated exposure to chemical and physical hazards. Cojiimon chemical health hazards include particulate (lead, nickel, chrerniurn, iron oxides, zinc, copper, cadmium, fluorides, manganese) and gases (carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, ozone). Physical hazards include electrical energy, thermal energy, noise, ergonomic stress and electromagnetic radiation that occur in the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared frequencies. Many epidemiological studies of the welders were conducted and revealed that, there arc several disorders associated with different welding exposures including: respiratory system disorders, eye, skin, car, musculo-skeletal, renal, reproductive, and nervous system disorders. A comparative cross sectional study was conducted upon (III »)ndi viduals divided into two groups, the exposed group and the control group. 1. The exposed group It includes (63) welders with mean age of (3 J .31) year and (22) co-welders with mean age of (21.18) year. They were all welders and co-welders working in (9) small workshops and in (2) large factories in Mansoura City and neighborhoods. The mean duration of exposure was (J 4.42) years for welders and (7.27) years for co-welders. The majority of the welders under study used mild steel as a base (65%) and arc welding technique (67%). The co-welders share the welders in the same working environment 2. The control group Twenty six individuals matched the exposed group in age, sex, marital state, residence, smoking habit educational level and duration of employment; were selected from services and security employees in Mansoura faculty of medicine so they ere not exposed to welding environment. All the subjects were submitted to specially designed questionnaire that fulfills the requirernents of the study, clinical and ocular examinations and investigations, which included: chest X- ray and instrumental investigations namely, spirometry for evaluations of pulmonary functions and audiometry for evaluations of hearing ability. The concentration of suspended particulate matter and atmospheric iron, manganese and chromium in particulate form were determined in 10 air samples of 8 hours duration. Also (he noise levels measurements were carried out during di Ilcrcnt working activities in I Iaidclc.