Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in flour processing workers in the baking industry

Abstract

Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory capacity were studied in 63 flour processing male bakery workers in Umtata, Transkei, Southern Africa. The controls were from a bottling plant in the same city. Both groups were black Africans from the Xhosa-speaking population. The studied population was nonsmoking and no significant difference was noted in age, race, sex, or height between the groups. The exposed workers had significantly lower forced expiratory indices than the control group. Mean percent predicted values of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced expiratory ratio (FEV1/FVC x 100), forced mid-expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of FVC (FMF), forced expiratory flow between the first 200 ml and 1,200 ml of FVC (FEF 200-1,200), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) were, respectively, 11.2%, 20.0%, 31.0%, 27.4%, and 36.1% lower in the exposed group compared with the controls. The prevalence of forced expiratory ratio less than 70% in the exposed group was 37% while in the controls it was 8%. The prevalence of PEF rate less than 5 1/s in the exposed group was 32% while in the controls it was 11%. The exposed workers reported a significantly higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms compared to the controls. The prevalence of nasal symptoms, phlegm, and cough in the exposed workers was 53.9%, 30.1%, and 25.4%, respectively. The present study demonstrated that exposure to flour dust in flour processing workers in the baking industry is associated with significantly lower pulmonary functions and a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms, and that these workers show signs of airway obstruction, compared to workers not exposed to flour.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pulmonary functions of wheat flour mill workers and controls in Ibadan, Nigeria

“…In this study, for both methods of analysis of pulmonary functions, the production workers recorded somewhat lower spirometric values compared with the control groups after adjustments were made for differences in age, height, weight, and smoking habits. Similar findings were recorded by Shamssain [1995] among flour processing workers in the baking industry in Transkei, Southern Africa. The difference in pulmonary functions between the occupational groups was most evident among non-smokers, and to a lesser extent among ex-smokers, two groups in which wheat flour dust was about the only significant current pollutant to the airways.…”

“…This is in contrast with the restrictive pulmonary impairment due to wood dust exposure among sawmillers as documented by Rastogi et al [1989]. However, similar reports of chronic airflow obstruction among grain dust workers were recorded by other investigators such as Shamssain [1995], Dosman et al [1980], Becklake et al [1977], Skoulas et al [1964], and Cohen and Osgood [1953]. Although more than half of the subjects in the Skoulas et al [1964] series were smokers, the airflow obstruction observed was not explained by smoking alone, suggesting chronic exposure to grain dust as the plausible cause of airway obstruction.…”

Pulmonary function impairment and airway allergy among workers in traditional bakeries

“…This is in accordance with many authors, who reported that the principal sensitizer in bread bakeries is wheat flour dust [2,3,[18][19][20][21][22]. [27] investigated pulmonary function parameters in non-smoking bakery workers and reported that the exposed group had lower forced expiratory indices than the control group. Shamssain also found that the predicted values of FEV 1 , FEV 1 /FVC, FEF 25-75% , and PEFR were respectively, 11.2, 20.0, 31.0, and by 36.1% lower in the exposed group compared to the controls.…”

Dose Responses of Years of Exposure on Lung Functions in Flour Mill Workers

“…In addition, Shamssain, (1995) 21) observed the respiratory symptoms and ventilatory capacity in nonsmoking flour processing male bakery workers and reported that the exposed workers had significantly lower forced expiratory indices than the control group. Mean percent predicted values for forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced expiratory ratio (FEV1/FVC %), forced mid-expiratory flow (FMF) between 25% and 75% of FVC, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were respectively, 11.2%, 20.0%, 31.0%, and 36.1% lower in the exposed than in the controls.…”