H. J. A. Sallé

Aircraft noise and birth weight

SummaryData from six infant welfare centres in the vicinity of Amsterdam airport were analysed. Birth weights of 902 infants were related to aircraft noise levels to which the mother was exposed in pregnancy. The analysis was restricted to deliveries in hospital, single births and mothers aged 20–34 years.In high noise areas the mean birth weight was 69 g lower than in low noise areas. Of the infants in high noise areas 24% had a birth weight less than 3000g, compared with 18% in low noise areas.In the analysis the effect of sex of the infant, birth order and to some extent socio-economic status were taken into account. An effect of smoking seemed unlikely. The results, together with existing knowledge, give some suggestion that aircraft noise can decrease birth weight.

Smoking habits and levels of lead and cadmium in blood in urban women.

SummaryIn 222 Dutch urban women lead (PbB)- and cadmium (CdB)-levels in blood were measured and related to smoking habits. PbB ranged from 40 ppb to 240 ppb and CdB rangedfrom 0.2 ppb to 4.4 ppb. Smokers had slightly higher PbB-levels and distinctly higher CdB-levels.

Effect of chronic mixed pesticide exposure on peripheral and autonomic nerve function

In a cross-sectional study involving 131 flower bulb farmers (mean age = 43 y) and 67 well-matched controls, peripheral and autonomic nerve functions were examined. The study group had been exposed during a period of 20 y (standard deviation = 7) and applied a similar pesticide package. Lifetime cumulative exposure was estimated based on exposure levels for specific application methods and duration of exposure. Exposure-related decreased conduction velocities were found in the motor fibers of the median (-1.1 m/s) and peroneal (fast fibers: -1.2 m/s, slow fibers: -1.3 m/s) nerves, and in the sensory fibers of the median (-1.4 m/s) and sural (-0.9 m/s) nerves. In addition, the refractory period was determined and found to be increased in the sural and peroneal nerves. With regard to the autonomic nerve function, a decrease was found in resting sinus arrhythmia (-10%).

Road traffic noise annoyance in Amsterdam

Summary3445 persons living in Amsterdam (1507 male and 1938 female), aged 41–43 years, participated in an investigation in which the relationship was studied between the (measured) road traffic noise in front of the houses in which the participants lived, and the (reported) resulting annoyance and sleep disturbance.We found a smaller number of persons with annoyance and sleep disturbance than we had expected as a result of other investigations. Considerable differences in the annoyance experience were found for different categories of noise-sensitivity. Furthermore, a negative appreciation of other environmental noises and of the living environment increased the prevalence of traffic noise annoyance.Noise sensitivity and this appreciation are mutually dependent: noise-sensitive people have a greater risk of being annoyed by other sounds (aeroplanes, neighbours, work) as well, and they have less appreciation of their living environment. Noise-sensitivity appears to be more strongly represented amongst persons with a higher socio-economic status. In favour of the point of view that an important contribution to annoyance is of nonacoustic character, is the finding that both annoyance and sleep disturbance are greater amongst people who keep their windows closed at the exposed side of their home.

Road traffic noise and cardiovascular disease

SummaryIn a population study, an attempt was made to answer the question whether people living in a street with much traffic (noise) run an increased risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases.The necessary cardiovascular data were provided by the ‘Consultation Bureau Project Heart Diseases’ in a small town in The Netherlands. The study was restricted to housewives aged 40–49 years. Of 2,000 housewives 86% participated: 1342 living in quiet streets (Ldn<62.5 dB(A)) and 399 living in noisy streets (Ldn>62.5 dB(A)). For both groups, we studied the occurrence of consultation with a cardiologist, hypertension, angina pectoris, ischaemia on E.C.G., and heart shape pathology on X-ray photographs.No differences were found between the two groups of housewives. These results are discussed in the light of the question whether traffic noise can be a risk factor to cardiovascular disease. It is pointed out that the absolute exposure to traffic noise and the difference in exposure may have been too small to demonstrate an effect.

Concentrations of lead and other metals in blood of two and three year-old children living near a secondary smelte

SummaryIn 108 two-and three-year-old children the concentration of lead, cadmium, manganese, and zinc in blood, of free erythrocyte porphyrin in erythrocytes, and of haemoglobin and haematocrit were measured. The relation with distance of residence to a secondary smelter and with socio-economic class was studied. The ranges were for PbB 45–383 ppb, CdB 0.2–3.5 ppb, ZnB 2.0–9.7 ppm, MnB 2.7–14.1 ppb, FEP 10.5–138.9 μg/100 ml rbc. PbB was influenced independently by the distance to the source of emission and by the socioeconomic class. FEP increased with PbB; Hb and Ht were not affected. The results suggest that the Biological Quality Guide for blood lead as adopted in the European Community may have to be lowered for young children.

Biochemical response of male volunteers ingesting inorganic lead for 49 days

SummaryMale volunteers (n = 11) ingested lead acetate, starting with 30 30 μ g Pb/kg daily until PbB had reached 300 ppb; thereafter daily dosage was changed into 20, 10 or 0 μg Pb/kg to sustain an intended individual level of PbB = 400 ppb; 10 controls ingested a placebo (single blind); exposure lasted for 49 days. On the average PbB = 350 ppb was reached in 15 days. ALAD activity in blood decreased as soon as PbB increased; it showed a decrease of 45–69% at the end of exposure. FEP increased in 10 exposed subjects after a calculated lag time of 0 – 21 days (in 7 subjects > 5 days) and did not level off during the period of exposure. There was no effect on serum Fe values; there was a small decrease of GSH; ALAU and number of reticulocytes did not change. At PbB < 400 ppb, FEP can be used as a parameter of lead effect. Increase of FEP should be regarded with more caution than inhibition of ALAD. In biological monitoring programs, the combination of PbB and FEP will present a more valid picture of exposure and of response (health risk).

Comparison of two techniques to measure the motor nerve conduction velocity distribution

Hopfs technique to measure the distribution of motor nerve conduction velocities (DMCV) has been compared with the technique introduced by Ingram et al. in the peroneal nerve of 28 healthy subjects 41.2 (S.D. 8.4) years. Twenty subjects were examined twice. Both techniques yielded an equal DMCV and equally reproducible results. Group mean velocities for the slowest examined (MNCV95) motor nerve fibres were 39.0 m/sec (S.D. 3.3) for Ingrams technique and 38.6 (S.D. 3.6) for Hopfs technique. The conventional MNCV was always slower than the velocity of the 5% fastest fibres estimated from the DMCV. Ingrams technique may have a number of merits which may have been obscured by measurement in the peroneal nerve, which may be of advantage in shorter nerve segments or faster nerve fibres. On the basis of our data in the peroneal nerve of healthy subjects no preference can be given for either of the techniques.

Influence of smoking on aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity, haematocrite and lead in blood in adult urban women.

SummaryIn adult urban women the effect of smoking 10 or more cigarettes per day on Ht, ALA-D activity and PbB-level was studied. Within the range of PbB-levels studied (up to 240 ppb in whole blood) smoking increased hematocrite, and so the transport capacity of total peripheral blood for Pb and the total ALA-D activity. Decrease of ALA-D-activity per cell volume was for 20 % due to increased PbB-level per cell volume as related to smoking, and for 80 % due to a direct effect of smoking. If one wants to study whether a no-effect level of PbB on ALA-D exists, one has to examine non-smokers.

Vibratory and tactile sense of the fingers after working with sanders

SummaryTwenty-four volunteers worked four times in a laboratory under realistic conditions for 80 min with a relatively intensely vibrating planesander and a less intensely vibrating band-sander (each sander twice). Immediately before and after exposure, the left and right third finger was measured for vibratory sense with a 100 Hz rod-vibrameter and for width-und depth-sense by means of an apparatus modified after Carlson. The reproducibility of the parameters was poor: coefficients of intra-individual variation were 20 to 60%. After using the plane-sander the threshold of the width-sense in the right hand increased relative to the effect of the band-sander by 17% of the pre-exposure value; in the left hand no increase was found. The thresholds of the depth-sense and vibratory sense showed no change. The study suggests that brief vibration exposure below the ISO-guideline may cause some reduction of sensibility. One should be cautious in applying these tests. An exposure-free interval of at least several hours is recommended when studying chronic effects of vibration exposure.