Long-term effects of welding fumes upon respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function.

To evaluate the long-term influence of welding fumes and of cigarette smoke on the function of the bronchopulmonary system a comparative study of spirometric measurements in 209 welders and 109 non-welder controls was performed in a shipyard. The two groups were matched for age, height, smoking habits, residence and social class. Fifty-one percent of the welders had one or more of the respiratory symptoms, while only 26% of the controls had any of the symptoms. Chronic bronchitis was found to be confined to welders who smoked or had smoked. The welders appeared to show significantly increased impairment of lung function and, with advancing years, a deterioration in lung function greater than that of the controls, but, in general, they did not show serious pulmonary insufficiency.