Korean J Prev Med.  1989 Mar;22(1):153-161.

The Epidemiologial Study on the Welders' Pneumoconiosis among Shipyard Welders in Pusan Area

• Lee CU
• Cho GY
• Kim SC
• Pae KT
• Kim YW
• Yun IG

Abstract

Authors studied on the prevalence of 94 cases of pneumoconiosis who were found out through the screening test on 1,062 workers engaged in welding process at 36 shipyard in Pusan area from March 1st, 1986 to November 30th, 1986. The result were as follows; 1. Dust concentration was measured 4.49+/-0.54 mg/m3 in the small scale shipyard while it was 6.25+/-1.08 mg/m3 in the large one. 2. The prevalence of welder's lung was 8.9% (male:8.5%, female:12.0%) and this is consist of 4.9% suspected pneumoconiosis and 4.0% pneumoconiosis more than category 1/0. 3. The prevalence was significantly increased according to the duration of dust exposure (p<0.05), and it showed the increasing tendency by the age group. 4. The prevalence was significantly higher in the large scale shipyard than is the small scale one(p<0.01). 5. The type and shape of opacities were 71.4% of p type and 28.6% of q type, however no pneumoconiosis with r type observed in this study. 6. The main subjective symptoms were the sputum(29.8%), coughing(25.5%), shortness of breath(20.2%), fatigue(6.4%), and chest pain(5.3%). In other hand, 57.4% of pneumoconiosis were asymptomatic. 7. The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis was radiologically 1.7% in all subjects including 5.3% in pneumoconiosis and 1.3% in no pneumoconiosis(p<0.01).

MeSH Terms

Busan*
Dust
Hand
Humans
Lung
Mass Screening
Pneumoconiosis*
Prevalence
Thorax
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary
Welding
Dust