Respiratory Symptoms and Lung Function in Never-Smoking Male Workers Exposed To Hardwood Dust

Dragana Bislimovska; Sunchica Petrovska; Jordan Minov

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2015.086

Authors

Dragana Bislimovska Department of Medical and Experimental Physiology with Anthropology, Medical Faculty, Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Skopje
Sunchica Petrovska Department of Medical and Experimental Physiology with Anthropology, Medical Faculty, Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Skopje
Jordan Minov Institute of Occupational Health of Republic of Macedonia, WHO Collaborating Center, Skopje

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2015.086

Keywords:

respiratory symptoms, questionnaire, spirometry, wood dust, workplace exposure

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Results from many studies suggest that workplace exposure to organic dust may lead to adverse respiratory effects in exposed workers.

AIM: In order to assess the respiratory effects of the workplace exposure to hardwood dust we performed a cross-sectional study of never-smoking male workers employed in parquet manufacture and never-smoking male office workers as a control.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study including 37 never-smoking male workers employed in parquet manufacture and an equal number of never-smoking male office workers studied as a control. Evaluation of examined subjects included completion of a questionnaire for respiratory symptoms in the last 12 months and baseline spirometry performed according to the actual recommendations.

RESULTS: We found a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms in parquet manufacturers than in office workers with significant difference for cough and phlegm. Majority of the respiratory symptoms in the parquet manufacturers were work-related. The mean values of all spirometric parameters with exception of forced ventilatory capacity (FVC) were significantly lower in the parquet manufacturers as compared to their mean values in the office workers. We found close relationship between both the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and the reduction of spirometric parameters in the parquet manufacturers and the duration of the workplace exposure to wood dust.

CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that workplace exposure to hardwood dust may lead to adverse respiratory effects indicating the need of adequate preventive measures in order to protect the respiratory health of exposed workers.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Plum Analytics Artifact Widget Block

References

Chan-Yeung M, Dimich-Ward H. Natural history of occupational lung diseases. Eur Respir Mon. 1999; 4: 46-63.

Dimich-Ward H, Kennedy S, Chan-Yeung M. Occupational exposures and chronic airway limitation. Can Respir J. 1996; 3: 133-140. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/1996/146138

Lamprecht B, SchirnhoferL, Kaiser B, Studnicka M, Buist AS. Farming and the prevalence of non-reversible airways obstruction: results from a population-based study. Am J Ind Med. 2007; 50 (6): 421-426. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.20470

Minov J, Karadzinska-Bislimovska J, Vasilevska K, Risteska-Kuc S, Stoleski S. Occupational asthma in subjects occupationally exposed to herbal and fruit tea dust. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol. 2007; 58: 211-221. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10004-007-0016-4

Glindemeyer HW, Lefante JJ, Jones RN, Rando RJ, Weill H. Cotton dust and across-shift change FEV1 as predictors of annual change in FEV1. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1994; 149: 584-590. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm.149.3.8118622

Forest Products Laboratory. Wood Handbook. Available at: www. woodweb.com (Assessed 22.06.2015).

Bean TL, Butcher TW, Lawrence T. Wood dust exposure hazards. Available at: http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/0595_1.html (Assessed 22.06.2015).

Greg R. A Career as a Carpenter. Available at: www.rosenpublishing.com (Assessed 22.06.2015).

Noertjojo HK, Dimich-Ward H, Peelen S, Dittrick M, Kennedy S, Chan-Yeung M. Western red cedar dust exposure and lung function loss: a dose-response relationship. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1996; 154: 968-973. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm.154.4.8887593

Pramanik P, Chaudhury A. Impact of occupational exposure to wood dust on pulmonary health of carpenters in small scale furniture industries in West Bengal. DHR-IJBLS. 2013; 4 (3): 204-211.

Hayes RB, Gerin M, Raatgeven RJ, Bruyn A. Wood-related occupations, wood dust exposure, and sinonasal cancer. Am J Epidemiol. 1986; 124 (4): 569-577. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114429

World Health Organization. Guidelines for controlling and monitoring the tobbaco epidemic. Geneva: WHO, 1998.

Leffondre K, Abrahamowicz M, Siemiatycki J, Rachet B. Modelling smoking history: A comparison of different approaches. Am J Epidemiol. 2002; 156: 813-823. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwf122

Spirometry Guide: 2010 Update. http://www.goldcopd.org/uploads/users/files/GOLD_Spirometry_2010.pdf.

Miller MR, Hankinson J, Brusasco V, Burgos F, Casaburi R, Coates A, Crapo R, Enright P, van der Grinten CPM, Gustafsson P, Jensen R, Johnson DC, MacIntyre N, McKay R, Navajas D, Pedersen OF, Pellegrino R, Viegi G, Wanger J. Standardisation of spirometry. Eur Respir J. 2005; 26: 319-338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.05.00034805

Minette A. Questionnaire of the European Community for Coal and Steel (ECSC) on respiratory symptoms. 1987 - updating of the 1962 and 1967 questionnaires for studying chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Eur Respir J. 1989; 2:165-177.

European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Variations in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, self-reported asthma attacks, and use of asthma medication in the European Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). Eur Respir J. 1996; 9: 687-695. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.96.09040687

Meijer E, Grobbe DE, Heederik DJJ. Health surveillance for occupational chronic obstructive disease. J Occup Environ Med. 2001; 43: 444-450. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00043764-200105000-00003

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A report of the Surgeon General. US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Assistant for Health, Office of Smoking and Health. DHHS Publication No. 84-50 205, 1984.

Janson C, Chinn S, Jarvis D, Zock JP, Toren K, Burney P, for the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Effects of passive smoking on respiratory symptoms, bronchial responsiveness, lung function, and total serum IgE in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey: a cross-sectional study. Lancet. 2001; 358: 2103-2109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(01)07214-2

Okwari OO, Antai AB, Owu DU, Peters EJ, Osim EE. Lung function status of workers exposed to wood dust in timber markets in Calabar, Nigeria. Afr J Med Med Sci. 2005; 34(2): 141-145.

Arbak P, Bilgin C, Balbay O, Yesidal N, Annakkaya AN, Ugler F. Respiratory symptoms and peak expiratory flow rates among furniture-decoration students. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2004; 11: 13-17.

SclhÃ¼nssen V, Schaumburg J, Taudorf E, Mikkelsen AB, Sigsgaard T. Respiratory symptoms and lung function among Danish woodworkers. J Occup Environ Med. 2002; 44(1): 82-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00043764-200201000-00013

Douwes J. McLean D, Slater T, Pearce N. Asthma and other respiratory symptoms in New Zealand pine processing sawmill workers. Am J Ind Med. 2001; 39 (6): 608-615. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.1060

Ige OM, Onadeko OB. Respiratory symptoms and ventilator function of the sawmillers in Ibadan, Nigeria. Afr J Med Med Sci. 2000; 29(2): 101-104.

Danilova M, Stoleski S, Mijakoski D. Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory function in never-smoking males working in dusty occupations. OA Maced J Med Sci. 2014; 2(4): 645-649. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2014.116

Kacha Y, Nayak Y, Varu M, Mehta H, Shah CJ. Effects of wood dust on respiratory functions in saw mill workers. International journal of basic and applied physiology. 2014; 3(1): 122-128.

Osman E, Pala K. Occupational exposure to wood dust and health effects on the respiratory system in a minor industrial estate in Bursa, Turkey. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2009; 22(1): 43-50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10001-009-0008-5

Meo SA. Lung function in Pakistani wood workers. Int J Environ Health Res. 2006; 16(3): 193-203. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09603120600641375

Dudhmal VB, Afroz S, Jadhav SS, Karadkhedkar SS. Pulmonary function tests in saw mill factory workers. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2006; 50(3): 313-315.

Shamssain MH. Pulmonary function and symptoms in workers exposed to wood dust. Thorax. 1992; 47(2): 84-87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/thx.47.2.84

Innocenti A, Ciapini C, Natale D, Nerozzi F, Pippi P, Selmi M. Longitudinal changes of pulmonary functions in workers with high wood dust exposure levels. Med Lav. 2006; 97(1): 30-35.