Health Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on Reproductive-Age Female Operators of Plastic Welding Machines in Fuzhou, China. Issue 2 (February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xu, Youqiong; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Chen, Yu; Ren, Nan; Lin, Wei; Zhang, Qunwei
• Is Part Of: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 58:Issue 2(2016)
• Page Start: 148
• Page End: 153
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Subjects: Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Occupational Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental health; Medicine, Industrial; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000581
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1076-2752

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) among female operators of plastic welding machines. Methods: We examined 180 female operators in shoe factories as the exposed group, and 349 female workers from nearby supermarkets as the unexposed group. Results: The mean radiation levels in the vicinity of the welding machines ranged from 51.3 to 368.9 V/m. The prevalence of neurovegetative symptoms increased with higher EMFs exposures ( P < 0.05). The prevalence of menstrual disorder was 12.0% in the unexposed group, but was 26.8% and 33.8% in low and high-exposure groups, respectively ( P < 0.01). Exposure–response relationships were found between cumulate exposure and neurovegetative symptoms and menstrual disorder ( P < 0.05). Serum progesterone (P4 ) was significantly lower in the exposed groups ( P < 0.01). Conclusions: EMFs exposure was associated with adverse health effects, including neurovegetative symptoms, menstrual disorder, and low level of P4 .