Diseases of the airways and the skin in the waste workers, diagnosed by occupational health physicians (in workers with >1 disease only the leading disease was considered)
| Biowaste collectors n=53 |
Compost workers n=58 | Control subjects n=40 | ||
| Mucous membrane irritation | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Tracheobronchitis (490.0) | 2 | 7 | p=0.04 | 0 |
| Sinusitis (473.0–473.3) | 1 | 4 | 1 | |
| Organic dust toxic syndrome | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Diseases of the airways (combined) | 3 | 14 | p=0.003 | 1 |
| Eczema (692.9) | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Dermatomycosis (111.9) | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Pyoderma (586.0) | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Otitis externa (380.1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Diseases of the skin (combined) | 0 | 8 | p=0.02 | 0 |
| Total diseases | 3 | 22 | p<0.0001 | |
p Values are calculated v the control group with Fisher's exact test, two sided.