Poultry Processing Work And Respiratory Health Of Latino Men And Women In North Carolina

Abstract

Objective-To evaluate associations between poultry processing work and respiratory health among working Latino men and women in North Carolina. Methods-BetweenMay 2009 and November 2010, 402 poultry processing workers and 339 workers in a comparison population completed interviewer-administered questionnaires. Of these participants, 279 poultry processing workers and 222 workers in the comparison population also completed spirometry testing to provide measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity.Results-Nine percent of poultry processing workers and 10% of workers in the comparison population reported current asthma. Relative to the comparison population, adjusted mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity were lower in the poultry processing population, particularly among men who reported sanitation job activities.Conclusions-Despite the low prevalence of respiratory symptoms reported, poultry processing work may affect lung function.Exposure to organic and inorganic dusts and other allergens is a well-recognized cause of airway disease among men and women employed in the agricultural industry. [1][2][3][4] In largescale poultry production, workers inside poultry barns and processing plants encounter high levels of ammonia, bacteria, and dust on the job. [5][6][7][8] Because of the high concentrations of the exposures and their irritant properties, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, 9 coughing, 9,10 wheezing, 10 nasal symptoms, 11,12 and changes in lung function 5,[8][9][10] have been investigated extensively among poultry barn workers. HHS Public Access Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript Author ManuscriptIn contrast, relatively few data are available to describe inhalation exposures and respiratory health symptoms among individuals employed in poultry processing plants (ie, slaughterhouses, abattoirs), where live birds are received and then moved through the processing facility on a production line. Along the line, workers hang, kill, defeather, clean, eviscerate, and cut the poultry into parts that are then packaged, boxed, and shipped. 13,14 In addition to working on the line, employees clean machinery and floors; inspect and repair equipment; assemble boxes; and load, stack, and move pallets of packaged poultry. Throughout the facilities, workers may encounter cold temperatures and high humidity, and potential inhalation exposures include aerosolized chlorine compounds, cleaning agents, and machining and other fluids; airborne allergens, bacteria, dusts, endotoxin, and fungi; and carbon dioxide. The extent to which appropriate respiratory protection or mechanical ventilation systems are used in the poultry processing industry is unknown, though outbreaks of psittacosis and pneumonia [15][16][17] and reports of eye and respiratory tract irritation 5,13,18 suggest that workers' airways may not be sufficiently protected.Previous epidemiologic research conducted in North Carolina has reported depressive symptoms, 19 dermatologic...