Abstract
The aim was to assess pneumoproteins and a certain biomarker of systemic inflammation in drill floor workers exposed to airborne contaminants generated during drilling offshore, taking into consideration serum biomarkers of smoking, such as nicotine (S-Nico) and cotinine. Blood samples of club cell protein 16 (CC-16), surfactant protein D (SP-D) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were collected before and after a 14-day work period from 65 drill floor workers and 65 referents. Air samples of oil mist, drilling mud components and elemental carbon were collected in person. The drill floor workers were exposed to a median air concentration of 0.18 mg/m3 of oil mist and 0.14 mg/m3 of airborne mud particles. There were no differences in the concentrations of CC-16 and SP-D across the 14-day work period and no difference between drill floor workers and referents at baseline after adjusting for differences in sampling time and smoking. CRP decreased across the work period. There was a strong association between the CC-16 concentrations and the time of sampling. Current smokers with S-Nico > detection limit (DL) had a statistically significantly lower CC-16 concentration, while smokers with S-Nico < DL had CC-16 concentrations similar to that of the non-smokers. Fourteen days of work offshore had no effect on serum pneumoprotein and CRP concentrations. However, the time of blood sampling was observed to have a strong effect on the measured concentrations of CC-16. The effect of current smoking on the CC-16 concentrations appears to be dependent on the S-Nico concentrations.
Highlights
Offshore drill floor workers are exposed to airborne contaminants composed of constituents of drilling fluids
A significant decline in the serum club cell protein 16 (CC-16) concentrations across the 14-day work period was observed in both groups, while a decline was observed for C-reactive protein (CRP) among the drill floor workers and for surfactant protein D (SP-D) among the referents
This study shows a decline in CC-16 concentrations of drill floor workers and referents across the 14-day work period
Summary
Offshore drill floor workers are exposed to airborne contaminants composed of constituents of drilling fluids (mud). Only one study has addressed lung disorders in drill floor workers that are potentially caused by exposure to oil mist, other mud components or other airborne chemical exposures, such as strong cleaning fluids [11]. It has been suggested that alveolar macrophages phagocytizing particulate matter express pro-inflammatory cytokines that interact with neighboring airway epithelial cells [23] This may result in systemic inflammatory responses with induction of acute phase reactants, such as CRP, mediated through increased secretion of IL-6 [23]. The aim of this study was to investigate if drill floor workers exposed to oil mist and other chemical components when drilling for oil and gas in the Norwegian North Sea sector would experience alterations in serum concentrations of well-known biomarkers for pulmonary damage (SP-D and CC-16) and systemic inflammation (CRP). This study is part of a larger study on occupational exposure and pulmonary health of offshore drill floor workers [10,11]
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