Occupational exposure to welding fumes associated with pulmonary surfactant lipid compositional changes, inflammatory activity and pulmonary functioning.

Abstract Objective To investigate alterations in the respiratory tract lining fluid phospholipids and their association with pulmonary function in welding fume-exposed workers. Method Particles in exhaled air were collected from 134 subjects. Pulmonary function was assessed via spirometry and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide. Small airway function was measured with impulse oscillometry and multiple breath washout. Data were analyzed using univariate (Wilcoxon rank sum, Kendall tau, linear regression) and multivariate (OPLS, machine learning) statistics. Results Increased proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the respiratory tract lining fluid among welding fume exposed. Some lipids correlated with diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide and small airway dysfunction outcomes. Conclusion Welding fume exposure may alter respiratory tract lining fluid phospholipid composition, potentially contributing to chronic pulmonary diseases. Further research into these mechanisms is needed.