Aluminum

To assess whether aluminum reclamation (recycling) exposure in a southeastern plant was associated with neurobehavioral and pulmonary impairment and symptoms.

Cross-sectional comparisons of 41 workers to 32 local and to 66 regional referents were made to assess whether aluminum recycling was associated with neurobehavioral and pulmonary impairment and symptoms. Methods included neurophysiological, psychological and pulmonary function tests, a profile of mood states (POMS), and questionnaires.

Exposed subjects compared to referents, had slower simple and choice reaction times by 77 milliseconds (ms) and 137 ms respectively (p<.0001), balance measured as sway speed was (.32 cm/s) faster with eyes closed (p<.005) and color discrimination was poorer (p<.0001). Culture Fair scores were 8.3 lower (p<.0001), trail making A was 10 seconds (s) longer (p<.001), trail making B was 50 s longer (p<.0001) and peg placement took 9 s longer (p<.008) and POMS scores were 4-fold higher (p<.0001). These differences were not explained by age, bias or confounding factors. Workers had more neurobehavioral, rheumatic and respiratory symptoms.

These differences were attributed to chemical exposures from aluminum remelting, that includes aluminum, manganese, vinyl chloride monomer and other chemicals. Workplace air could not be sampled but as a problem was identified levels of these and other chemicals should be measured in future studies.