Chest
Occupational and Environmental Lung DiseaseShort-term Effects of Wood Smoke Exposure on the Respiratory System Among Charcoal Production Workers
Section snippets
Subject Selection
The survey was carried out in the villages around the area of the valley of Perama, Rethymnon, Crete. The study population was selected by local town hall officials, from among 32 active charcoal workers. A total of 22 male workers (9 current smokers, 5 ex-smokers, and 8 nonsmokers; mean ± SD age, 41.2 ± 16 years) agreed to participate in the study. Using the records from the local municipal rolls, 35 male residents of the studied area (14 current smokers, 9 ex-smokers, and 12 nonsmokers; mean
Exposure
A mean of 23.7 ± 4.6 days (range, 15.2 to 28.4 days) was required for the kilns to be burned. The burning period represents the actual exposure time. The charcoal workers under study were exposed to the wood smoke of burning kilns for a relatively long period of time every day (14.1 ± 6.4 h) starting at 7 am, as they were tending closely the pyrolyzing procedure of the burning kilns. No respiratory protective equipment was used by the workers at any time during the burning period of the kilns.
Symptoms
Discussion
Charcoal production is a traditional occupation in which the short-term respiratory effects have never been studied. This study shows that wood smoke exposure is associated with increased odds of self-reported respiratory symptoms, including cough, sputum production, wheezing, and dyspnea. Furthermore, short-term decrements in PFT measures were found to accompany the increased symptom prevalence during the exposure period.
The charcoal workers had an short-term postexposure decline in PFT
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