Evaluation of the nasal mucociliary transport rate by rhinoscintigraphy in marble workshop workers

Toxicol Ind Health. 2011 Oct;27(9):826-30. doi: 10.1177/0748233711399312. Epub 2011 Mar 14.

Abstract

Marble workers are occupationally exposed to intense environmental marble dust in their workplace. We aimed to investigate the effect of occupational marble dust exposure on nasal mucociliary transport rate (NMTR). Seventeen marble workers and 18 healthy controls were studied. In all subjects, NMTRs were measured by (99m)Tc-MAA rhinoscintigraphy. NMTRs of workers and control groups were compared by statistically. Mean NMTR was found as 9 ± 1.8 mm/min in marble workers whereas mean NMTR of healthy controls was 9.6 ± 2.2 mm/min. There was no statistically significant difference between NMTRs of workers and control groups (p > 0.05). This study has shown that occupationally exposured marble dusts may not cause functional impairment on NMTR in marble workshop workers.

MeSH terms

  • Absorption / drug effects*
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Air Pollutants, Occupational / toxicity*
  • Biological Transport / drug effects*
  • Calcium Carbonate / toxicity*
  • Dust* / analysis
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Male
  • Nasal Mucosa / diagnostic imaging
  • Nasal Mucosa / drug effects*
  • Nasal Mucosa / physiology
  • Occupational Exposure*
  • Particle Size
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin
  • Turkey
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Air Pollutants, Occupational
  • Dust
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin
  • Calcium Carbonate