Chest
Clinical Investigations: Occupational/EnvironmentalRespiratory Symptoms and Lung Function in Animal Feed Workers
Section snippets
Subject Selection
In a cross-sectional study, male white workers (n=205) from five grain elevators of the same agricultural cooperation in the Netherlands were studied. Characteristics of the study population are summarized in Table 1. Written informed consent was obtained from each worker (participation rate, 88 percent). Subjects were asked to complete the British Medical Research Council questionnaire on respiratory complaints at home before lung function measurements. Additional questions were asked
Estimation of Exposure
In these facilities, 54 measurements of dust and endotoxin exposure were gathered. For the seven job titles in the production group (maintenance personnel were excluded), mean exposures to inspirable dust and endotoxin are given in Table 2. Regression analysis revealed that average dust and endotoxin exposure differed significantly among different job titles (p<0.01). Highest exposures were met with in unloaders, press operators, and “jacks of all trades.”
Pulmonary Function—Present Exposure
Mean pulmonary function values of
Discussion
This study provides further evidence that organic dust exposure in the animal feed industry may induce airflow obstruction and respiratory symptoms.6, 7 Lung function in exposed workers was found to be inversely related to both present and cumulative exposure to inspirable dust. A significant exposure-response relationship was observed between present dust exposure and lung function parameters from both techniques applied. On the other hand, all impedance parameters correlated significantly
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are seriously indebted to all workers for their participation in this study, to Dick Heederik and Geertjan Wesseling for their suggestions and comments on this manuscript, to Jos Slangen for statistical analysis, and to the occupational hygienist, Jeroen Douwes, for the performance of air sampling and endotoxin analysis.
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