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A previous investigation of white male workers from a pulp and paper company in Berlin, New Hampshire identified decrements in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) associated with work in the pulping operations. A subset of those data were reanalyzed to consider another type of occupational exposure: gassing incidents in which workers were accidentally exposed to high levels of irritant gases, such as chlorine (Cl2) or sulfur dioxide (SO2). A total of 230 current and former workers (all white male) were included in the analysis. Gassing events were more common among pulp mill workers (34%) than workers from other parts of the company (9%). Average changes of -291.9 ml in FEV1 (p0.05) and -5.00% in FEV1/FVC (p0.05) were associated with gassing. Also, in each of the regression models for the three measures of pulmonary function (FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC), there was a three-way interaction of cumulative smoking, cumulative pulp mill exposure, and gassing. The greatest decreases in FEV1 and FEV1/FVC associated with gassing were evident in the dual smoking/pulp mill exposure categories of none/high and high/none. The changes in pulmonary function appeared to be chronic effects that persisted beyond cessation of the exposure. Only limited information about the gassing episodes was requested from the subjects, and future research is discussed that will address some of the limitations.

The paper mills in South Karelia, the southeast part of Finland, are responsible for releasing a substantial amount of malodorous sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methyl mercaptan (CH3SH), and methyl sulfides [(CH3)2S and (CH3)2S2], into ambient air. In the most polluted residential area the annual mean concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan are estimated to be 8 and 2 to 5 micrograms/m3 and the highest daily average concentration 100 and 50 micrograms/m3. The annual mean and highest daily concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) are very low. We studied the effects of malodorous sulfur compounds on eye, nasal and respiratory symptoms, and headache in adults. A cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire was distributed in February 1987 and responded to by 488 adults living in a severely (n = 198), a moderately (n = 204), and a nonpolluted community (n = 86). This included questions about occurrence of the symptoms of interest during the previous 4 wk and 12 months and individual, behavioral, and other environmental determinants of the symptoms. The response rate was 83%. The odds ratios (OR) for symptoms experienced often or constantly in severely versus nonpolluted and moderately versus nonpolluted communities were estimated in logistic regression analysis controlling potential confounders. The odds ratios for eye (moderate exposure OR 11.70, Cl95% 2.33 to 58.65; severe exposure OR 11.78, Cl95% 2.35 to 59.09) and nasal symptoms (OR 2.01, Cl95% 0.97 to 4.15; OR 2.19, Cl95% 1.06 to 4.55) and cough (OR 1.89, Cl95% 0.61 to 5.86; OR 3.06, Cl95% 1.02 to 9.29) during the previous 12 months were increased, with a dose-response pattern.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)