Author/Editor		Kobal-Grum, Darja; Arnerič, Niko; Kobal, Alfred B; Horvat, Milena; Ženko, Bernard; Džeroski, Sašo; Osredkar, Joško
Title		Emotions and personality traits in former mercury miners
Translated title		Čustva ter osebnostne lastnosti bivših rudarjev v rudniku živega srebra
Type		članek
Source		Psihol Obz Ljubl
Vol. and No.		Letnik 13, št. 4
Publication year		2004
Volume		str. 10-31
Language		eng
Abstract		The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of long-term occupational exposure to elemental mercury vapor (Hg) on the personality traits of ex-mercury miners. The study groups included 53 ex-mercury miners exposed to Hg and 53 age-matched controls. Their previous occupational exposure, as well as some biological indices of actual non-occupational exposure, were evaluated. Miners and controls completed the self-reporting Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and the Emotional States Questionnaire (ESQ). Group differences were analyzed through the application of ANOVA software. The relationship between the indices of previous occupational exposure and the observed personality traits was evaluated by machine learning methods (regression trees). The mercury miners were intermittently exposed to Hg in intervals-cycles for a period of 7-31 years at air Hg concentrations ranging from 0.14 to 0.45 mg/m3. The miners mean cycle urine mercury (U-Hg) level (range 20-120 ug/L) and cumulative U-Hg level (range 1286-21390 ug/L) were very high. The present non-occupational exposure to mercury was very low in both groups. The low extraversion and lie scores shown by ESQ suggest that miners are more introverted and sincere. The results obtained from ESQ indicate that mercury miners tend to be more depressive, more rigid in expressing their emotions (indifference), and are likely to have more negative self-concepts than the controls. The tendency towards emotional rigidity, negative self-concept, and partly also introversion seems to be associated with some biological indices of occupational Hg exposure, but not the lower score of lie found in miners. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters)
Summary		Namen študije je ugotoviti vpliv dolgotrajne izpostavljenosti elementarnemu živemu srebru na osebnostne poteze nekdanjih rudarjev, ki so delali v rudniku živega srebra. Raziskava vključuje 53 nekdanjih rudarjev, ki so bili predhodno izpostavljeni živemu srebru in 53 udeležencev, ki sestavljajo kontrolno skupino in so izenačeni po starosti in spolu. Ugotavljali so se pretekla izpostavljenost in nekateri biološki kazalci izpostavljenosti, ki niso povezani z delom. Obe skupini sta izpolnili Eysenckov osebnostni vprašalnik (EPQ) in Lestvico emocionalnih stanj (ESQ). Razlike med skupinama so avtorji ugotavljali z ANOVO, povezanost med kazalci pretekle delovne izpostavljenosti in merjenimi osebnostnimi potezami pa z ti. »machine learning« metodami (regresijska drevesa). Rudarji so bili v presledkih izpostavljeni živemu srebru, in sicer v obdobju 7 do 31 let, pri koncentracijah živega srebra, ki so znašale med 0.14 do 0.45 miligramov na kubični meter. Povprečni cikli vrednosti živega srebra v urinu (U-Hg; 20-120 mikrogramov na liter) in kumulativni nivo U-Hg (1286-21390 mikrgramov na liter) so bili zelo visoki. Trenutna izpostavljenost živemu srebru, ki ni povezana z delom, je bila pri obeh skupinah udeležencev nizka. Nizki ekstravertnost in lestvica laži pri rudarjih nakazujeta, da so rudarji bolj iskreni in introvertirani kot njihovi vrstniki iz kontrolne skupine. Rezultati na lestvici emocionalnih stanj pa kažejo, da rudarji bolj težijo k depresivnostni naravnanosti, so bolj rigidni in bolj ravnodušni v čustvovanju. Tendence k emocionalni rigidnosti, negativnejši samopodobi, delno pa tudi nakazana introvertnost so verjetno povezane z nekaterimi biološkimi kazalci poklicne izpostavljenosti živemu srebru. (Izvleček prekinjen pri 2000 znakih)
Descriptors		MERCURY MINING OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE PERSONALITY TESTS PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT EMOTIONS ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE