Article Text
Abstract
Objectives To prospectively assess respiratory health in wastewater workers and garbage collectors over 5 years.
Methods Exposure, respiratory symptoms and conditions, spirometry and lung-specific proteins were assessed yearly in a cohort of 304 controls, 247 wastewater workers and 52 garbage collectors. Results were analysed with random coefficient models and linear regression taking into account several potential confounders.
Results Symptoms, spirometry and lung-specific proteins were not affected by occupational exposure.
Conclusions In this population no effects of occupational exposure to bioaerosols were found, probably because of good working conditions.
- Spirometry
- pulmonary surfactant-associated proteins
- endotoxins
- garbage
- sewage
- epidemiology
- respiratory
- longitudinal studies
- lung function
- organic dusts
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Footnotes
Funding The Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (SUVA) supported part of this study.
Competing interests None.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.