Respiratory symptoms and lung function in wool textile workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Godnic-Cvar J ; Kanceljak B ; Mustajbegovic J ; Schachter EN ; Sitar-Srebocan V ; Zuskin E
• Description:
  A study was undertaken to determine the effect of wool dust exposure on respiratory function in employees of a Croatian wool textile mill. Subjects in a group of 158 female and 58 male textile mill employees ranging in age from 20 to 57 years were given questionnaires regarding chronic respiratory symptoms, occupational history and smoking habits. Delivery employees not exposed to textile dusts were used as a control group. The wool mill workers were engaged in opening bales, and in operating carding, spinning and weaving machines. Ventilatory capacity was measured in subjects before and after a work shift on a Monday. Airborne dust samples were collected during an 8 hour work shift. Exposed textile workers had a significantly higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms than did control workers. Dyspnea, nasal catarrh and sinusitis were the most commonly reported symptoms. Hoarseness was reported by 58.3% of female and 32.2% of male wool workers. Significant across shift reductions were seen for ventilatory capacity. Mean total dust concentration measured 8.1mg/m3, with a respirable fraction of 1.72mg/m3. Based on the high dust concentration and the high incidence of respiratory symptoms seen in this study, the authors conclude that wool mills need to be better monitored and controlled to reduce occupational respiratory disease. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Monitoring Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Textile Industry Wool
• Keywords:
  Air-sampling NIOSH-Grant NIOSH-Publication Occupational-exposure Occupational-respiratory-disease Pulmonary-system-disorders Respiratory-system-disorders Textile-workers Wools
• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  27
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00227107
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 1995 Jun; 27(6):845-857
• Contact Point Address:
  Medicine Mount Sinai Medical Center One Gustave L Levy Place New York, N Y 10029
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1995
• NORA Priority Area:
  Pulmonary System Disorders
• Performing Organization:
  Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19880701
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• End Date:
  20020331
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3441ea815e88d149f05c987a1a0352fbaae4b3a9caa6e1c940791a747a8fec8e7ba6eff3bb3de76baa3434d28f001cf926abc03cdc2ccd92e3c91136c88bef42
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205521/cdc_205521_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 656.81 KB ]