Skip to main content
PMC home page
Occupational and Environmental Medicine logoLink to Occupational and Environmental Medicine
. 2001 Oct;58(10):656–662. doi: 10.1136/oem.58.10.656

Dust exposure and impairment of lung function at a small iron foundry in a rapidly developing country

J Gomes 1, O Lloyd 1, N Norman 1, P Pahwa 1
PMCID: PMC1740042  PMID: 11555687

Abstract

OBJECTIVES—A cross sectional prospective study was carried out among iron foundry workers (exposed) and soft drink bottling and supply company workers (unexposed) to assess their occupational exposure to ambient respiratory dust in their work environment and its effect on their lung function profile.
PARTICIPANTS—Lung function was measured in 81 exposed and 113 unexposed workers. Personal respirable dust concentrations were measured for all the exposed and the unexposed workers. Information on respiratory signs and symptoms was also collected from the participants.
RESULTS—Among the exposed workers, midexpiratory flow (FEF25-75), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), FEV1/FVC, and FEV1/VC ratios were significantly lower whereas the vital capacity (VC) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were non-significantly higher. Job at the iron foundry was a significant predictor of lung function. Exposure to high concentration of respirable dust at the iron foundry was also a significant predictor. Workers working in high exposure areas (general works, furnace, continuous casting areas, and fabrication workshop) had lower lung function values than workers in medium and low exposure areas. Smoking did not enhance the effects of exposure to dust on lung function.
CONCLUSIONS—Exposure to respirable dust was higher among the iron foundry workers; and among these, general, furnace, rolling mill, and fabrication workers had higher exposures to dust than did workers in continuous casting, the mechanical workshop, and the bottling plant. Job type and exposure to dust were significant predictors of lung function. Implementation of industrial hygiene and proper and efficient use of personal protection equipment while at work could help to protect the respiratory health of industrial workers.


Keywords: lung function; dust exposure; foundry; smoking; personal protection

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (154.0 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Becklake M. R. Occupational exposures: evidence for a causal association with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1989 Sep;140(3 Pt 2):S85–S91. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/140.3_Pt_2.S85. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chia K. S., Ng T. P., Jeyaratnam J. Small airways function of silica-exposed workers. Am J Ind Med. 1992;22(2):155–162. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700220203. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Crapo R. O., Morris A. H., Gardner R. M. Reference spirometric values using techniques and equipment that meet ATS recommendations. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1981 Jun;123(6):659–664. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1981.123.6.659. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Knudson R. J., Lebowitz M. D., Holberg C. J., Burrows B. Changes in the normal maximal expiratory flow-volume curve with growth and aging. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1983 Jun;127(6):725–734. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1983.127.6.725. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kolarzyk E., Kieć E., Wiater M. Wpływ otyłości na sprawnoś wentylacyjna układu oddechowego. Cześ I. Zwiazek pomiedzy podstawowymi wskaźnikami spirometrycznymi: pojemnościa zyciowa (VC) i natezona objetościa wydechowa 1 s (FEV1) a otyłościa. Med Pr. 1985;36(2):87–95. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Korn R. J., Dockery D. W., Speizer F. E., Ware J. H., Ferris B. G., Jr Occupational exposures and chronic respiratory symptoms. A population-based study. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987 Aug;136(2):298–304. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/136.2.298. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lebowitz M. D. Epidemiological recognition of occupational pulmonary diseases. Clin Chest Med. 1981 Sep;2(3):305–316. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lebowitz M. D. Occupational exposures in relation to symptomatology and lung function in a community population. Environ Res. 1977 Aug;14(1):59–67. doi: 10.1016/0013-9351(77)90066-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Liou S. H., Cheng S. Y., Lai F. M., Yang J. L. Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in mill workers exposed to wood dust. Am J Ind Med. 1996 Sep;30(3):293–299. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0274(199609)30:3<293::AID-AJIM7>3.0.CO;2-#. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Liou S. H., Yang J. L., Cheng S. Y., Lai F. M. Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function among wood dust-exposed joss stick workers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1996;68(3):154–160. doi: 10.1007/BF00381624. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Nemery B., Van Leemputten R., Goemaere E., Veriter C., Brasseur L. Lung function measurements over 21 days shiftwork in steelworkers from a strandcasting department. Br J Ind Med. 1985 Sep;42(9):601–611. doi: 10.1136/oem.42.9.601. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Oxman A. D., Muir D. C., Shannon H. S., Stock S. R., Hnizdo E., Lange H. J. Occupational dust exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A systematic overview of the evidence. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1993 Jul;148(1):38–48. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/148.1.38. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Roels H. A., Ghyselen P., Buchet J. P., Ceulemans E., Lauwerys R. R. Assessment of the permissible exposure level to manganese in workers exposed to manganese dioxide dust. Br J Ind Med. 1992 Jan;49(1):25–34. doi: 10.1136/oem.49.1.25. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sobaszek A., Edme J. L., Boulenguez C., Shirali P., Mereau M., Robin H., Haguenoer J. M. Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function among stainless steel welders. J Occup Environ Med. 1998 Mar;40(3):223–229. doi: 10.1097/00043764-199803000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Wang M. L., McCabe L., Hankinson J. L., Shamssain M. H., Gunel E., Lapp N. L., Banks D. E. Longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses of lung function in steelworkers. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1996 Jun;153(6 Pt 1):1907–1913. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.153.6.8665054. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Xu X., Christiani D. C., Dockery D. W., Wang L. Exposure-response relationships between occupational exposures and chronic respiratory illness: a community-based study. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1992 Aug;146(2):413–418. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/146.2.413. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Zerah F., Harf A., Perlemuter L., Lorino H., Lorino A. M., Atlan G. Effects of obesity on respiratory resistance. Chest. 1993 May;103(5):1470–1476. doi: 10.1378/chest.103.5.1470. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Zuskin E., Mustajbegovic J., Schachter E. N., Kern J., Doko-Jelinic J., Godnic-Cvar J. Respiratory findings in workers employed in the brick-manufacturing industry. J Occup Environ Med. 1998 Sep;40(9):814–820. doi: 10.1097/00043764-199809000-00011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Occupational and Environmental Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES