Occupational health issues and respiratory toxicity of a complex of harmful factors in electrolytic and hydrometallurgical copper production

Introduction. In recent decades, there has been a decrease in occupational morbidity at enterprises producing rough and refined copper, in the structure of which, nevertheless, bronchopulmonary pathology retains a leading position.

The aim is to study the occupational risk of developing respiratory pathology in workers engaged in obtaining cathode copper by electrolysis and electorowinning methods, based on the study of working conditions of workplaces and clinical observation.

Materials and methods. The object of the study were: Uralelectromed, V. Pyshma (UEM); Uralhydromed, Polevskoy (RMK). The subject of the study were 100 employees of the electrolysis shop of UEM – the 1st observation group; 102 people of the auxiliary workshops of UEM – the 2nd observation group; 92 workers of the extraction and electorowinning department of UGM – the 3rd observation group.

Results.  During electrolytic refining of copper, the leading harmful factors with respiratory toxicity are sulfuric acid aerosol, selenium dioxide, nickel, arsenic, and during electrovinig – sulfuric acid aerosol. Violations of ventilation function and pulmonary gas exchange were observed in 21.0 % of cases in persons of the 1st and in 15.7% of cases in patients of the 3rd observation group).

Discussion. Changes in the function of external respiration (FVD) were established mainly by the obstructive type, namely, an increase in RV, FRC and RV/TLC and a decrease in FEV1, VC, FEV1/VC, FEV25-75 of mild and moderate severity were noted. The bronchodilation test revealed the reversibility of bronchial obstruction in both groups 1 and 3. Obstructive disorders and dynamic hyperventilation of the lungs in copper refining workers are probably a consequence of hyperreactivity of the bronchi in response to the irritating properties of sulfur-containing gases, arsenic and nickel compounds.

Conclusion. The results of the study indicate respiratory toxicity of harmful factors in workers of electrolysis and electrovining, which corresponds to a high and average occupational risk of class 3.3 and class 3.2 assessment of working conditions and the results of mandatory periodic medical examinations.

1. Sterekhova NP. Clinic of chronic occupational intoxication by sulfur dioxide gas in workers of metallurgical shops of copper smelting plants: Author’s abstract of thesis for the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Sverdl. State Medical Institute. − Sverdlovsk : 1973. 28 p. (In Russ.). URL: https://search.rsl.ru/ru/record/01007463490

2. Sterekhova NP, Khalevina SN, Kruchinina LN. Yakhimovich NP. State of health of workers of sulfuric acid workshop: Problems of hygiene, organization of health care general and professional pathology of workers of copper-smelting plants. Sverdlovsk : Sredne-Uralskoye kn. izd. ; 1979. pp. 51−58. (In Russ.).

3. Sterekhova NP, Khalevina SN. Toxic-dust bronchitis e workers of copper-smelting shops and criteria of their occupational genesis: Problems of hygiene, organization of general and occupational pathology of workers of copper-smelting plants. Sverdlovsk : Sredne-Uralskoye kn. izd. ; 1979. pp. 63−67. (In Russ.).

4. Kuzmina FS. Early manifestations of chronic intoxication by sulfur dioxide gas in smelters of blister copper : Questions of hygiene, organization of general and professional pathology of workers of copper smelting plants. Sverdlovsk : Sredne-Uralskoye kn. izd. ; 1979. pp. 67–72. (In Russ.).

5. Sterekhova NP, Ivonina TI, Vorobyev AV, Makeev OG. Sulfur-containing gases as an occupational hazard in mining and production of non-ferrous metals and sulfur. Ekaterinburg : Urals State Medical Academy, 1996. 138 p. (In Russ.).

6. Zislin DM, Sterekhova NP. Clinic of acute and chronic occupational intoxications by sulfur dioxide gas: (Diagnosis, course, treatment, medical and occupational expertise and prevention). M : Medicine ; 1977. 135 p. (In Russ.).

7. Adrianovsky V.I., Lipatov G.Ya., Samylkin A.A. et al. Analysis of the results of periodic medical examinations of workersemployed in fire and electrolytic copper refining. Fundamental Researches = Fundamental’nye issledovanija. 2010;7:7−12. (In Russ.). URL: https://fundamental-research.ru/ru/article/view?id=8963

8. Barkalova NYu. Modern methods of protecting workers’ health from harmful factors of production at non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises. Klin Institute of Labor Protection and Conditions. (In Russ.). URL: https://www.kiout.ru/info/publish/25716

9. Tarnovskaya EV, Surin SA, Chashchin VP. General and occupational morbidity of workers of nickel electrolysis production in the Kola Peninsula. Occupational medicine and industrial ecology = Medicina truda i promyshlennaja jekologija. 2010;4:11−14. (In Russ.).

10. Serebryakov P.V., Kartashev O.I., Fedina I.N. Assessment of the health status of copper production workers in the conditions of the Far North. Risk management for the health of workers and the population in connection with the economic activities of copper industry enterprises: Materials of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference on October 7-9, 2015 Upper Pyshma-Yekaterinburg, 2015. pp. 118−122. (In Russ.). URL: https://www.ymrc.ru/ix/f/X/fKa53kZsU5-XWXcsG5Nhr-4SBpsPLBDO.pdf

11. Maratkanova AA, Troitskaya NA, Efimova GN. Voprosy hygiene of labor and professional pathology in metallurgy. M : Publishing House Medicine; 1972. pp. 310−314. (In Russ.).

12. Lipatov GYa. Occupational hygiene and prevention of occupational cancer in pyrometallurgy of copper and nickel: dis. ... doctor of medical Sciences: 14.00.07: protected 04.03.1992. Moscow, 1992. 33 p. (In Russ.). URL: https://search.rsl.ru/ru/record/01000017843.

13. Lyakh GD, Maratkanova AA. Copper production: a guide to labor hygiene. M : Medicine ; 1987. Vol. 2. pp. 114−117. (In Russ.).

14. Reshetova S.V. Occupational hygiene of workers in the production of copper products by rolling and filling method : abstract. dis. on the job. learned. step. Candidate of Medical Sciences : 2006 (In Russ.). URL: https://search.rsl.ru/ru/record/01003272825.

15. Adrianovsky VI, Lipatov GY, Lestev MP. Hygienic characteristics of working area air in modern production of blister copper. Fundamental research = Fundamental’nye issledovanija. 2012;7−1:16−20. (In Russ.). URL: https://fundamental-research.ru/ru/article/view?id=30029

16. Adrianovsky VI, Gileva YM, Lipatov GY, Poplavskikh SY. To the assessment of working conditions of workers engaged in the concentration of copper-bearing ores. International Journal of Applied and Fundamental Research = Mezhdunarodnyj zhurnal prikladnyh i fundamental’nyh issledovanij. 2010;12:30−31. (In Russ.). URL: https://applied-research.ru/ru/article/view?id=965

17. Barkalova NY. An integrated approach to the protection of a copper production worker. Handbook of a labor protection specialist. 2018;10: 124−125. (In Russ.).

18. Nikanov AN, Chashchin VP, Dardynskaya I et al. Risk-oriented approach to the preservation of occupational health of workers at enterprises of non-ferrous metallurgy in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Human Ecology = Jekologija cheloveka. 2019;2:12–20. (In Russ.).

19. Bazarova EL, Fedoruk AA, Osherov IS et al. Assessment of occupational health risks from exposure to titanium alloys basedon the results of periodic medical examinations and doctor’s visits. Population Health and Habitat - ZNiSO. 2021;(2):43−53. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.35627/2219-5238/2021-335-2-43-53.

20. Bazarova EL, Fedoruk AA, Roslaya NA et al. Experience in assessing occupational risk associated with exposure to industrial aerosols in the modernization of the metallurgical plant. Population Health and Environment = ZNiSO. 2019;1(310):38−45. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.35627/2219-5238/2019-310-1-38-45.

21. Bazarova EL, Fedoruk AA, Roslaya NA et al. Experience in assessing occupational risk associated with exposure to industrial aerosols in the modernization of the metallurgical plant. Population Health and Environment = ZNiSO. 2019;9(318):56−61. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.35627/2219-5238/2019-318-9-56-61.

22. Drugova OG, Rosly OF, Fedoruk AA. Comparative assessment of occupational risk by hygienic criteria of “new” and “old” copper cathode production technologies. Actual problems of safety and risk analysis to public health under the influence of environmental factors: Materials of the VII All-Russian Scientific and practical conference with international participation in 2 volumes. 2016. pp. 99−103. (In Russ.).

23. Savushkina OI, Chernyak AV. Bodipletismography: theoretical and clinical aspects. Medical Alphabet = Medicinskij alfavit. 2018;2(23):13−17. (In Russ.).

24. Cherniak A.V., Savushkina O.I. Spirometry in clinical practice. Bulletin Physiology and Pathology of Respiration. 2020;77:125−133. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.36604/1998-5029-2020-77-125-133.

25. Serebryakov PV, Bakirov AB, Karimova LK, Rushkevich OP. Clinical features of respiratory diseases and comorbid pathology in workers of industrial enterprises, improvement of prevention and treatment methods. Ufa: Ufa Research Institute of Labor Medicine and Human Ecology ; Moscow : Print-2 ; 2016, 369 p. (In Russ.).

26. Syurin S.A. Peculiarities of bronchopulmonary pathology in copperindustry workers in the Kola High North. Hygiene and Sanitation = Gigiena i sanitarija. 2013;92(3):53−56. (In Russ.).

27. Brooks SM. Then and now reactive airways dysfunction syndrome journal of occupational and environmental medicine. J Occup Environ Med. 2016;58(6):636−637. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000000787.

28. Tyagi R, Mohanty CS, Hande V. Reactive airway dysfunction syndrome: Are we missing these patients? Med J Armed Forces India. 2020;76(3):342−344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mjafi.2018.06.013.

29. Walters GI, Huntley CC. Updated review of reported cases of reactive airways dysfunction syndrome. Occup Med (Lond). 2020;70(7):490−495. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqaa133.

30. Baur X, Chen Z, Liebers V. Exposure-response relationships of occupational inhalative allergens. Clin Exp Allergy. 1998;28(5):537−544. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2222.1998.00276.x.