Occupational exposure to wood dust and health effects on the respiratory system in a minor industrial estate in Bursa/Turkey

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate occupational exposure to wood dust in the furniture industry in a minor industrial estate in Bursa/Turkey. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted between October 2006 and May 2007. In this study, a total of 656 persons, 328 woodworkers and 328 controls were included. A questionnaire was used in the study. Physical examination and the pulmonary function tests (MIR-Spirobank G) of the workers were performed. A portable Aircheck 2000 pump was used to collect the specimens of wood dust from the workplaces. NIOSH Method 0500 was employed for the gravimetric measurements of dust. Results: The average dust concentration at the workplace was 2.04±1.53 mg/m 3 . It was reported that 176 of workers (53.7%) had blocked nose while working, 141 (43.0%) had redness of the eyes, 135 (41.2%) had itching eyes and 78 (23.8%) had runny nose. No symptoms were observed in the control group while they were working at the workplace. The mean FEV 1 and FVC values of woodworkers, among both smokers and non smokers, were significantly low, although the FEV 1 /FVC value was high (p < 0.05). An increase both in FEV 1 and FVC values was detected among the woodworkers who had a working period less than 10 years and were exposed to wood dust at concentrations over 4 mg/m 3 compared to the woodworkers who were exposed to wood dust at less than 4 mg/m 3 (p < 0.05). Conclusions: As a result, in this study it was pointed out that the exposure to wood dust adversely influenced the workers respiratory functions. Besides, in this study a question associated with the healthy worker effect that can adversely influence health of workers exposed to wood dust at less than (4 mg/m 3 ) is revealed.

Work-related respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function tests in northeast iranian (the city of Mashhad) carpenters

“…The mean FEV1 and FVC values of woodworkers were significantly low, although the FEV1/FVC value was high. The results of this study indicated that exposure to wood dust adversely influenced the workers' respiratory functions, which supports the results of our study 18. Another recent study among 685 carpenters in Thailand showed significant negative correlations between mean dust exposure levels and FVC and FEV1/FVC%, but not FEV1, which suggests that wood dust exposure negatively affects lung function 19.…”

Exploring Occupational and Behavioral Risk Factors for Obesity in Firefighters: A Theoretical Framework and Study Design

“…We do not propose strong hypotheses about the role of other psychosocial stressors (e.g., effects of low job control, high job strain, high job effort/reward imbalance, and high emotional demands) in the development of obesity in firefighters because of a lack of preliminary investigations about the internal variation of these psychosocial stressors among OCFA firefighters. Nonetheless, based on the literature and our research [67,68] using the Midlife Development in the United States II dataset, these factors still need to be considered as possible risk factors for obesity in firefighters.…”

Respiratory Tract Problems among Wood Furniture Manufacturing Factory Workers in the Northeast of Thailand

“…2541 Chapter 2, Section 23 concerning the normal working hour, for not more than 8 hours a day. 17 The prevalence of respiratory symptoms among workers in wood furniture factory was 29.94%, the highest reported respiratory symptom was coughing (18.79%), followed by having sputum and sneezing (15.66% and 15.07% respectively). The scientific evidence indicated that when dust enter the respiratory tract, it could irritate the mucous membrane which lead to acute respiratory symptoms such as nose-itching, throat irritation, coughing, sneezing, sputum, 18 stuffy/running nose.…”