PhD defense by Birgitte Hamann Laustsen

The Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital are pleased to invite to PhD defense by Birgitte Hamann Laustsen, who will defend the thesis entitled: Occupational asthma and allergy in the greenlandic fish processing industry (joint degree between Aalborg University and Ilisimatusarfik).

• When: 27 June from 10.00 (Greenlandic time)
• Where: online via Zoom (you can also watch the live feed from the auditorium at Ilisimatusarfik)
• Language: English

Supervisors

• PhD Jakob Hjort Bønløkke, MD, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital and Aalborg University, Denmark
• Prof. Emeritus Øyvind Omland, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Denmark
• PhD Else Toft Würtz, Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
• Prof. Martin Miller, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK
• PhD, DrSci Michael Lynge Pedersen, MD, GP, Greenland Center for Health Research, Institute of Health & Nature, University of Greenland, Greenland

Assessment Committee

• Prof. Monika Raulf, University of Bochum, Germany
• PhD Randi Jacobsen Bertelsen, University of Bergen, Norway
• Prof. Lene Seibæk (Chair), University of Greenland, Greenland

About the PhD thesis

The seafood-processing industry is the largest industrial sector in Greenland. Former studies have shown a high prevalence of sensitisation to seafood, occupational asthma and allergy among seafood-processing workers in other countries. However, only a few occupational diseases are reported each year in Greenland and underreporting of occupational diseases is suspected. The prevalence of occupational diseases and accidents in Greenland has never been investigated before.

The aim of the thesis was to investigate the extent to which occupational diseases and accidents occur in the Greenlandic seafood-processing industry with a primary focus on Occupational asthma and allergy.

Paper I: Mean s-Se was 96.2 μg/l. No association was found between s-Se and asthma. S-Se was higher among non-smokers and workers from small factories and a positive association was found between s-Se and lung function. Paper II: Exposure levels were highest in shrimp production followed by snow crab production and fish production. The point prevalence of eczema on hands or arms was 6.8%, and 17-22% complained of pain in the upper extremities. Regarding accidents, the annual incidence rate per 100 workers was 10.3%. Paper III: The prevalence of probable occupational asthma was 5.5% and the prevalence of probable occupational rhino conjunctivitis was 4.6%. 18.1% were sensitised to snow crab, 13.6% to shrimp, 1.4% to fish and 32.6% to the fish parasite, Anisakis simplex. A dose response effect was found between years of exposure to snow crab and fish and the risk of being sensitised to snow crab and Anisakis simplex, respectively. Paper IV: During follow-up, lung function declined significantly. Reported lower airway symptoms did not change. A few more workers were sensitised to snow crab at follow-up than at baseline and conversely for shrimp sensitisation.

Conclusion

Selenium levels appear to continue to decline in Greenland, probably due to a more Westernised lifestyle. Workers in the seafood-processing industry in Greenland showed a high prevalence of sensitisation to snow crab, shrimp and Anisakis simplex; a high prevalence of occupational asthma and rhino conjunctivitis and a high incidence of occupational accidents. High exposure levels were measured in the factories. Hence, this indicates a considerable degree of underreporting of occupational diseases in Greenland. Lung function declined markedly during a two-year follow-up concurrently with workers continuing their employment in the seafood-processing industry in spite of having health problems. Thus, preventive measures are required.