Background -Workers in the mineral industries are exposed to airborne dust and its occupational exposure can cause respiratory disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the lung function and respiratory symptoms of workers exposed to mineral dust in the Eastern part of Iran. Material and Methods -This cross-sectional study was conducted on 156 workers in kaolin mine, gold mine, quarry, and stone cutting workshops as a dust exposed group and 48 administrative personnel in these sections as an unexposed group. After the general medical examination and completion of the demographic questionnaire, workers' pulmonary function test was performed for each person using a spirometer according to the American Thoracic Society standards. Finally, data analysis was performed using Tukey's post hoc and chisquared tests. Results -The mean age in the exposed group to dust and control group were 33.8±7.9 and 36.7±8.0 years (data are presented as mean with standard deviation), weight -75.1±13.0 and 75.0±11.2 kg, height -173.2±6.8 and 173.1±6.3 cm, and work experience -9.1±4.6 and 8.4±5.3 years, respectively. There was no significant difference between the working groups in the kaolin, gold, quarry, and stone cutting sections and the control group on the demographic variables. The mean value of the lung function parameters was lower in different working groups than in the control group. Significant differences were observed between the two groups in forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second parameters (P<0.05); however, there was no significant difference between them in peak expiratory flow and forced expiratory flow 25-75% (P>0.05). Conclusion -The results showed the exposed groups have significantly lower pulmonary function than the control group. Two out of four main pulmonary function variables showed reduce amounts in exposed groups.

Introduction: Lead is known as one of the most dangerous toxic metals in the world and its entry into the body can cause acute and chronic intoxication with a wide range of systemic symptoms. Our goal in the current research is to study the level of lead in the breathing zone and blood of the automobile welders in Birjand. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 47 automobile welders. The criteria for entering the study included, male gender, having at least 1 year of experience in automobile welding, and at least 8 hours of daily employment in welding. The general information required was collected through a questionnaire. At the beginning of the study, in each working environment air samples were taken in accordance with NIOSH 7082 standards. The analysis of the air lead concentration (ALC) was carried out by a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The blood lead concentration (BLC) was measured by NIOSH 8003 method via graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: Based on the data, 12.8% of the workers were smokers and 66% used appropriate personal protective equipment. The average ALC was 0.0458 +/- 0.0296 mg/m3 and the average BLC of automobile welders was 9.89 +/- 7.32 μg/dL. Although Pearson correlation coefficient showed a positive correlation between ALCs and BLCs, this correlation was not statistically significant (p = 0.38, r = 0.18). Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the average BLC in cigarette smokers and those who did not use PPE was higher than other people; besides, it was higher in individuals over the age of 30 than those under this age. The mean BLC in automobile welders and the mean ALC corresponded to the standards of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).