Development of the portable device of magnetopneumography and its utilization for the measurement in workers occupationally exposed to various dusts.

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It will be quite useful for the primary prevention of pneumoconiosis caused by mineral dust inhalation to estimate the amount of dust accumulated in the lung. Magnetopneumography (MPG) was first developed about 30 years ago as one of those methods, but has not been utilized in so many studied because it is difficult to bring the large device to worksites. If the device becomes smaller and portable, MPG measurements will be used more widely in various occupational settings.Therefore we tried to make the device smaller and easier to bring, in order to use it in actual worksites. We also tried to improve the measurement procedure for more accurate and sensitive testing. Our portable MPG device is small enough to bring to each worksite of workers and can utilize conventional 100 voltage electric source. The accuracy and sensitivity of this device was confirmed in the measurements of arc welders. Thus it is expected to use this portable device in the exposure assessment and health risk assessment in arc welders.In order to use the device in various works other than welding, we tested the magnetic strength of several types of dusts. As one of those is the printing toner dust which showed 5-30 % of magnetic strength of welding fume. At this moment of time, the sensitivity of our device may not be sufficient for the measurement of toner workers because the work environment of toner workers is maintained quite well. We will be able to conduct MPG measurement in toner workers by further improvement of the device in its sensitivity and elimination of background noise.