查看文章

Rhinitis symptoms are often reported by workers exposed to occupational sensitizing agents, and occupational rhinitis due to exposure to welding fumes has been reported (1). A European population-based study also found that the incidence of rhinitis was higher among individuals of both sexes in the welding profession (2). Between September 2013 and April 2017, we conducted a longterm follow-up assessment of respiratory effects in an inception cohort of apprentices in the welding profession, 7–17 years after they served their apprenticeship (3, 4). Ninety of 330 former apprentices were evaluated after the study was approved by the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal Ethics Committee, in accordance with Canadian ethics rules (CER 2012-801). In this study, we evaluated whether prevalent nasal symptoms and nasal patency were related to current exposure to welding fumes. Rhinitis was defined as the …