PMID- 32892212
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20210423
LR  - 20210515
IS  - 1559-064X (Electronic)
IS  - 1559-0631 (Linking)
VI  - 31
IP  - 1
DP  - 2021 Feb
TI  - Epidemiological evidence from south Indian working population-the heat exposures 
      and health linkage.
PG  - 177-186
LID - 10.1038/s41370-020-00261-w [doi]
AB  - Changing climate and rising temperatures are predicted to affect millions of 
      workers due to heat stress risks, especially in tropical settings. We used a 
      cross-sectional study design to profile the heat exposures of ~1500 workers from 
      eight-industrial sectors using a QuesTemp wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) 
      monitor, quantified the heat-strain indicators viz., rise in Core Body 
      Temperature (CBT), Sweat Rate (SwR), and Urine Specific Gravity (USG) by standard 
      methods and evaluated the health impacts of heat stress using a structured 
      questionnaire. Heat exposures (Avg.WBGT: 28.4 +/- 2.6  degrees C) exceeded the Threshold 
      Limit Value (TLV) for 70% of workers and was significantly associated with the 
      rise in CBT >1  degrees C in 11.3% and elevated USG >1.020 in 10.5% of the workers. The 
      heat-exposed workers had 2.3 times higher odds of reporting adverse health 
      outcomes (84%) compared to the unexposed workers (95% CI: 1.74-3.19; p 
      value </= 0.0001). Mild reduction in kidney function observed in 49% of salt - pan 
      workers, and a high prevalence of kidney stones (33%) among the 91 steelworkers 
      subjected to kidney ultrasound had a significant association with chronic high 
      WBGT exposure above the TLV (p value < 0.034). Further, in-depth assessments are 
      warranted to develop strategies for interventions and protective labor policies 
      to avert adverse occupational health and productivity consequences for millions 
      of workers globally, especially in the rising temperature scenario.
FAU - Venugopal, Vidhya
AU  - Venugopal V
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-8720-1969
AD  - Faculty of Public Health, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and 
      Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. vvidhya@ehe.org.in.
FAU - Latha, P K
AU  - Latha PK
AD  - Faculty of Public Health, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and 
      Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
FAU - Shanmugam, Rekha
AU  - Shanmugam R
AD  - Faculty of Public Health, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and 
      Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
FAU - Krishnamoorthy, Manikandan
AU  - Krishnamoorthy M
AD  - Faculty of Public Health, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and 
      Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
FAU - Omprashanth, R
AU  - Omprashanth R
AD  - Faculty of Public Health, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and 
      Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
FAU - Lennqvist, Robin
AU  - Lennqvist R
AD  - Department of Public Health and Community Medicine/Section of Occupational and 
      Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, 
      Sweden.
FAU - Johnson, Priscilla
AU  - Johnson P
AD  - Department of Physiology, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and 
      Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20200905
PL  - United States
TA  - J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol
JT  - Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology
JID - 101262796
SB  - IM
MH  - Cross-Sectional Studies
MH  - *Heat Stress Disorders/epidemiology
MH  - Hot Temperature
MH  - Humans
MH  - *Occupational Exposure/analysis
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Climate change
OT  - Dehydration
OT  - Kidney function
OT  - Occupational heat stress
OT  - Physiological heat strain
OT  - Workload
EDAT- 2020/09/07 06:00
MHDA- 2021/04/24 06:00
CRDT- 2020/09/06 20:35
PHST- 2020/03/06 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2020/08/21 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2020/08/05 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2020/09/07 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2021/04/24 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2020/09/06 20:35 [entrez]
AID - 10.1038/s41370-020-00261-w [pii]
AID - 10.1038/s41370-020-00261-w [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2021 Feb;31(1):177-186. doi: 
      10.1038/s41370-020-00261-w. Epub 2020 Sep 5.