Background: Exposure to flour dust is associated with development of respiratory symptoms and varying degree of reduction in lung function. These depend on work environment and duration of exposure.
Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of Exposure to flour dust on respiratory symptoms and lung function of flour mill workers in Sohag Gavernorate and to estimate the additive effect of smoking on pulmonary function parameters.
Patients and Methods: This study was carried out at flour mills in Sohag Governorate, south of Eygpt. Two hundred male workers with current exposure to flour dust and Two hundred male non-exposed to flour dust as a control group were interviewed and self designed study questionnaires were administered to them and the parameters of their pulmonary function were measured.
Results: Respiratory symptoms such as cough, expectoration, wheezing, and shortness of breath, were significantly (p < 0.0001) higher among exposed workers as compared to their unexposed counterparts. Furthermore highly statistically significant (p < 0.0001) decrements in the parameters of pulmonary function of exposed subjects were noted. moreover, a highly significant decline in FEV1% predicted, FVC% predicted and FEV1/FVC% was noticed regarding the duration of exposure to flour dust (p<0.0001). Also, there was a highly significant difference between heavily flour dust exposed group compared to lightly exposed subjects (p<0.001).
The additive effect of smoking on workers in flour mill was clearly noticed as there was a highly statistically significant decline of FVC%, FEV1%, FEV1/FVC% , FEF25% and FEF75% in smokers compared to non-smokers (p<0.0001).
Work-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and chronic bronchitis (ie, chronic cough with phlegm) were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher among flour mill workers compared with control subjects. Statistically significant association between COPD, asthma, chronic bronchitis and age (P <0.02), smoking (P <0.002), duration of employment (P <0.0001),level of exposures (P < 0.0001). was found.
Conclusion:
flour mill workers in Sohag Governorate, south of Eygpt, like grain workers elsewhere, were at an increased risk of developing pulmonary symptoms compared with control subjects, after adjusting for age, smoking habits and other confounders, a strong association exists between exposure to flour dust and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and functional impairments of the lungs. The result has implications for improved dust control measures in the grain industry in Egypt.