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The results are reported of a retrospective study carried out by the authors on 717 workers of a chemical industry whose exposure was diversified and quantified through a work environment survey. A comparison between "risk indicators" and both objective (respiratory function changes) and subjective (chronic bronchopneumopathy symptoms) "risks" showed a significant probability of the causal role played by work environment pollution in respect of the repiratory changes found by the authors.

A method is described for measuring, by a single test, some functional respiratory indexes, such as lung volumes, dynamic tests (flow-volume curve included), rapid He and CO2 curves, "closing volume". The normal values of "closing volume" and of forced expiratory flows obtained in 114 healthy subjects (65 men and 49 women) are then reported. Such values are comparable to those obtained by other authors. An equipment is used by the authors which is easily transportable to the workplace; their method can therefore be used for surveys of workers exposed to occupational respiratory risk during a working shift. The described respiratory index should be able to detect in a pre-clinical stage the early functional changes in chronic bronchitis.

The authors report the prevalence of respiratory function changes in two groups of workers employed in bichromate and chromic acid production. In the first group (82 subjects) examined at the Institute of Occupational Medicine, the following tests were performed: filling out of a questionnaire for cronic bronchitis; chest x-ray; spirometry; pulmonary diffusing capacity (DLco) measurement; blood gas analysis on arteriolized capillary; He and CO2 rapid expiratory curves determination. No environmental pollution data were available. In the second group (180 subjects) examined at the working site, the following tests were performed: filling out of a questionnaire -or chronic bronchitis; spirometric determination. Environmental pollution data were available. A causal connection is hypothesized by the authors between either roentgenologic or respiratory functional changes and chromium exposure, and an increased proportion between lung function changes and exposure length is stressed.