A Pilot Study to Assess Inhalation Exposures among Sugarcane Workers in Guatemala: Implications for Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Origin

Schaeffer, Joshua W.; Adgate, John L.; Reynolds, Stephen J.; Butler-Dawson, Jaime; Krisher, Lyndsay; Dally, Miranda; Johnson, Richard J.; James, Katherine A.; Jaramillo, Diana; Newman, Lee S.

doi:10.3390/ijerph17165708

Cited by 24 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 67 publications

(78 reference statements)

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“…This study demonstrated that a significant percentage of employees in Ethiopia’s Metehara and Wonji sugar factories were exposed to a significant amount of bagasse dust that exceeded the recommended limit, resulting in a considerable burden of chronic respiratory ailments. When compared with research conducted in China,42 Pakistan,43 Thailand,2 UK,1 India,44 45 Central America46 and Brazil,47 48 this study discovered a higher level of bagasse dust exposure. The possible explanations for this disparity could be related to the different techniques of controlling dust emissions at their sources, the nature of the machines used, the organisational safety infrastructure, and the sample sizes and sampling strategies used.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 56%

Bagasse dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among workers in the Metehara and Wonji sugar factories in Ethiopia: a longitudinal study design

et al. 2023

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BackgroundEthiopia’s sugar factories are growing by creating job opportunities for thousands of workers with varying educational, professional and socioeconomic backgrounds. These sugar factories are a source of several hazards that severely harm the workers’ health. In this context, there is inconclusive evidence on the level of bagasse dust exposure and chronic respiratory health symptoms. This study aimed to assess the degree of bagasse dust exposure and chronic respiratory health symptoms.MethodsIn this longitudinal study, five workstations were selected for dust sampling. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 1043 participants. We measured the dust intensity using a calibrated handheld real-time dust monitor once a month for 5 months, totalling 50 dust samples. Chronic respiratory symptoms were assessed using the American Thoracic Society’s respiratory symptoms questionnaire.ResultsA 1 hour time-weighted average of bagasse dust intensity in the boiler, power turbine and evaporation plant was 8.93 mg/m3, 8.88 mg/m3and 8.68 mg/m3, respectively. This corresponded to an exposure level to bagasse dust of 85.52% (95% CI 83.2% to 87.6%). The level of chronic respiratory health symptoms was 60.6% (95% CI 59.2% to 61.9%). The most common respiratory symptoms were wheezing (96.8%), coughing (89.7%) and breathlessness (80.9%). The identified risk factors were lack of dust control technology (β= 0.64, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.75), not practising wet spray (β = 0.27, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.41) and not wearing proper respiratory protection devices (β = 0.12, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.56).ConclusionsBagasse dust exposure and respiratory health abnormalities were worrying concerns. The absence of dust control technologies and no practice of wet spraying elevated the level of exposure. Not wearing proper respiratory protection gear increased the odds of having respiratory abnormalities. Hence, the use of mechanical solutions to stop dust emissions at their sources and the wearing of proper respiratory protection gear are highly advised.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 56%

Bagasse dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among workers in the Metehara and Wonji sugar factories in Ethiopia: a longitudinal study design

et al. 2023

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“…Exposures may also be coming from contaminants in the air, soil, and ash due to sugarcane burning practices. 56 Interestingly, a previous study conducted within a population of first-year sugarcane workers in the same region observed that workers who reported using a well water source at home had 6.1 times the odds of being in the subgroup that had lower kidney function at the start of their first year and had greater declines in kidney function over the harvest compared to all other sources of home water. 22 A few other studies have observed renal impairment among agricultural workers who are chronically exposed to glyphosate and paraquat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Sugarcane Workweek Study: Risk Factors for Daily Changes in Creatinine

Butler-Dawson

Krisher

Dally

et al. 2021

Kidney International Reports

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Introduction: Agricultural workers laboring in thermally stressful environments are at increased risk for kidney injury and chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu), and their environmental and occupational exposures have been considered to be important risk factors. This study examined the effects of repeated kidney stress from the simultaneous strain of work and other factors experienced by workers in Guatemala during a typical workweek.Methods: We collected data from 107 sugarcane workers across 7 consecutive work shifts. Data included information on daily occupational, meteorological, environmental, and lifestyle factors. We used multivariable linear mixed models to evaluate associations of these factors with percent change in creatinine. Results:We observed that increasing wet bulb globe temperature (b ¼ 2.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] ¼ 0.3%, 4.7%) and increasing diastolic blood pressure (b ¼ 6.2%, 95% CI ¼ 0.9%, 11.6%) were associated with increases in creatinine across the shift, whereas consumption of water from chlorinated dormitory tanks as compared to artesian well water (b ¼ À17.5%, 95% CI ¼ À29.6%, À5.4%) and increasing number of rest breaks (b ¼ À5.8%, 95% CI ¼ À9.0%, À2.6%) were found to be protective against increases in creatinine. Workers reporting drinking tank water had lower concentrations of urine creatinineÀcorrected arsenic, lead, uranium, and glyphosate compared to workers reporting the use of well water or municipal water. Conclusion:These results reinforce the need to focus on preventive actions that reduce kidney injury among this worker population, including strategies to reduce heat stress, managing blood pressure, and examining water sources of workers for nephrotoxic contaminants.

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“…Os trabalhadores do corte de cana-de-açúcar estão sujeitos também a exposição a poluentes. A colheita manual da cana-de-açúcar anteriormente era precedida pela queima da Rev Cient da Fac Educ e Meio Ambiente: Revista Científica da Faculdade de Educação e Meio Ambiente -FAEMA, Ariquemes, v. 14, n. 1, p. 69-83, 2023. palha para retirada a folhagem morta e facilitar o corte, processo esse que contribui para a poluição do ar local e produz uma espessa camada de cinzas no solo na base das plantas (14) .…”

Section: Corte Manual Da Cana-de-açúcar E Riscos Para O Trabalhadorunclassified

“…Além dos perigos potenciais dessa Rev Cient da Fac Educ e Meio Ambiente: Revista Científica da Faculdade de Educação e Meio Ambiente -FAEMA, Ariquemes, v. 14, n. 1, p. 69-83, 2023. substância para a saúde respiratória, os trabalhadores estão também potencialmente em risco de lesão renal induzida por sílica, sendo esse mineral frequentemente citado como um fator de risco potencial para doença renal crônica de origem desconhecida. Ademais, além da sílica, os trabalhadores da cana-de-açúcar estão expostos a outros nefrotóxicos e contaminantes presentes na fuligem, como resíduos de agrotóxicos e metais pesados (14) . Além de todos esses problemas já elencados, estudos também apontam os danos cromossômicos presentes em cortadores de cana-de-açúcar e derivados da realização dessa atividade.…”

Section: Corte Manual Da Cana-de-açúcar E Riscos Para O Trabalhadorunclassified

RISCOS PARA A SAÚDE E BOAS PRÁTICAS DE SEGURANÇA DO TRABALHO NO CORTE MANUAL DA CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR (Saccharum spp.): UMA REVISÃO DE LITERATURA

Félix

Silva

Araújo

et al. 2023

Rev Cient Fac Educ e Meio Ambient

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O corte manual da cana-de-açúcar é uma atividade árdua, no qual os trabalhadores estão expostos a longas jornadas de trabalho e a um ambiente de trabalho que apresenta múltiplas situações de risco à saúde. Nesse sentido, esse trabalho objetivou realizar por meio de levantamento bibliográfico, o levantamento das peculiaridades do corte manual da cana-de-açúcar, os riscos aos quais os cortadores estão expostos e os agravos à saúde a que esses trabalhadores estão sujeitos. Levantou-se ainda, as normas legais que amparam a segurança do trabalho desses profissionais e os desafios para garantir a efetividade dessa legislação e a implementação de boas práticas nessa atividade laboral. Para tanto, conduziu-se uma pesquisa bibliográfica utilizando o método de revisão integrativa. Os resultados levantados na literatura demonstram os riscos a que esses trabalhadores estão submetidos, com elevada carga de trabalho, exposição a poluentes e altas temperaturas, alimentação e reposição hídricas deficientes, entre outros. Conjuntura essa que tem sido associada ao surgimento de diversos problemas de saúde nesses trabalhadores, que vão desde dores físicas a alterações no DNA. Nesse contexto, torna-se necessário, além da efetiva fiscalização, a implementação de ações de conscientização e de boas práticas nesse segmento.

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A Pilot Study to Assess Inhalation Exposures among Sugarcane Workers in Guatemala: Implications for Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Origin

Cited by 24 publications

References 67 publications

Bagasse dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among workers in the Metehara and Wonji sugar factories in Ethiopia: a longitudinal study design

Bagasse dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among workers in the Metehara and Wonji sugar factories in Ethiopia: a longitudinal study design

Sugarcane Workweek Study: Risk Factors for Daily Changes in Creatinine

RISCOS PARA A SAÚDE E BOAS PRÁTICAS DE SEGURANÇA DO TRABALHO NO CORTE MANUAL DA CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR (Saccharum spp.): UMA REVISÃO DE LITERATURA

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