This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Scarlett-Kranz, J. M. Articles by Lisk, D. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Scarlett-Kranz, J. M. Articles by Lisk, D. J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Health Among Municipal Sewage and Water Treatment Workers

Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine New York State College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University Ithaca, New York

John G. Babish

Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine New York State College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University Ithaca, New York

Daniel Strickl

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory New York State College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University Ithaca, New York

Donald J. Lisk

Toxic Chemicals Laboratory New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Cornell University Ithaca, New York

Municipal sewage treatment plant workers are potentially exposed to a multitude of industrial chemicals and pathogenic microorga nisms. A questionnaire survey of working habits, lifestyle and symptoms of illness was conducted among 189 municipal sewage treatment plant workers processing between three and ten million gallons of wastewater daily in 16 plants in New York State between March and July of 1984. Water treatment plant workers in the same cities comprised the comparison group. Sewage workers reported a significantly higher frequency of headache, dizziness, sore throat, skin irritation and diarrhea within the month imme diately preceding receipt of the questionnaire, after controlling for various possible confounders. Eye and skin irritation were signifi cantly associated with exposure to mutagens. The health signifi cance of these findings and possible sources of error in assessing risk are discussed.

Toxicology and Industrial Health, Vol. 3, No. 3, 311-319 (1987)
DOI: 10.1177/074823378700300303


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?