Abstract for Poster 2

Occupational Dermatitis due to Copper Exposure

L. Fat*¹, L. Gyorffy^1,2
¹Inst. of Public Health, Occupational Health Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
²District Hospital, Baia -Mare, Romania

Background

The scientific literature still has a lot of controversies regarding the symptoms caused by copper exposure. The exposed industrial workers often have the hair and the beard colored in green because of the copper interaction with the sebum. Also the exposure to copper salts has an irritant skin effect and may cause occupational dermatitis.

Method

We investigated a group of 100 workers exposed to copper from a nonferrous metallurgical plant and observed the dermatological morbidity for a 4 years period. The workers mean age was 31.6±7.3 years and their mean time of exposure was 7.3±7.2 years. We made clinical examination, a standardized questionnaire regarding the skin symptoms, atrophy was investigated using skin prick test, and biotoxicological investigation as urine-cooper were performed.

Results

Thirty seven percent of workers had urine-copper over or around 200 µg/l. The majority of workers had a green-blue gingival line considered as an occupational mark; 40.5% had ortoergic dermatitis, palm and sole hyperkeratosis, paronychia, hand ulceration, koilonychias and traumatic onychodystrophy; 16.2% had allergic dermatitis with diffuse itching and palmary erythema; 43.2% had skin disorders in connection with other working conditions (high temperature, high humidity) such as: palmary hidrosis, facial erythema, skin mycosis; 21.6% had hepatomegaly; 18.9% had a fine hand trembling.

There were significant correlations between the urine-copper values, time of exposure and the workers’ symptoms.

The copper in the working environment exceeded 0.4-0.5 times the maximum allowable concentration.

Conclusion

During the 4 years survey the dermatological disorders had a constant level between 4.3‑4.7% from the total workers’ morbidity, with a slight decrease tendency caused by the improving of working conditions and mainly because of taking into consideration the personal hygiene.

Content last modified: 15 May 2005