Spirometry pattern and respiratory symptoms in sweepers

Abstract

Introduction: Multiple and sometimes contradictory evidence exists on the relationship between dust exposure and respiratory symptoms with pulmonary disorders. The study was conducted to examine the effects of chronic exposure to street dust on the pulmonary parameters and respiratory complaints in sweepers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 sweepers working in district 3 Bandar Abbas municipality in 2014. The control group was selected from the staff of the same municipality with an office/administrative position who lacked occupational respiratory exposures. In order to investigate pulmonary parameters, spirometry with Spirolab MIR3 were performed and FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF and FEF25-75 parameters were measured. Data were analyzed using STATA 12 software. Two Way ANOVA was used to compare respiratory parameters between two groups. Results: Prevalence of respiratory symptoms including cough, sputum, shortness of breath and wheezing had no significant differences in two groups. Values of FEV1, FEF25-75 and PEF showed significant decrease when adjusted for the effect of smoking on sweeper compared with administrative personnel (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between two groups and other variables of FVC and FEV1/FVC. Conclusion: It seems that sweepers cleaning street, who are constantly exposed to dust, are at risk of developing respiratory symptoms and decline in spirometric indices. It is useful to apply protective measures to prevent exposure to dust and to perform annual spirometry for early detection of respiratory disorders in sweepers.

Occupational health hazards of street cleaners – a literature review considering prevention practices at the workplace

“…Other authors also reported a negative correlation between the duration of exposure and lung function values for street sweepers [12,[27][28][29]. In most of the recent studies, the results of lung function measurements were adjusted for smoking [24,28] or the comparison with control subjects was only performed in non-smoking subjects [23,25,29]. Most of these studies showed that the decline of lung function was aggravated in smoking individuals.…”

“…A number of studies have revealed that street sweepers, especially in emerging and developing countries, are at risk of infectious diseases as they are exposed to inhalable matter, microorganisms, injuries, cuts and wounds. While a Kenyan study found that the involved street cleaners had little knowledge about the possible ways of transmitting infections and diseases [13], interviews with 70 street sweepers and garbage collectors from Egypt showed that between street cleaners and control subjects [23][24][25], indicating an obstructive pattern. Additionally, Sani et al [24] discussed that, due to the significant decline in forced expiratory flow (FEF 25-75 ) and peak expiratory flow (PEF), dust exposure of street sweepers might cause obstructive changes also in the small airways.…”

“…While a Kenyan study found that the involved street cleaners had little knowledge about the possible ways of transmitting infections and diseases [13], interviews with 70 street sweepers and garbage collectors from Egypt showed that between street cleaners and control subjects [23][24][25], indicating an obstructive pattern. Additionally, Sani et al [24] discussed that, due to the significant decline in forced expiratory flow (FEF 25-75 ) and peak expiratory flow (PEF), dust exposure of street sweepers might cause obstructive changes also in the small airways. In another study, street sweepers showed a significantly lower forced mid-expiratory flow (FMEF) (p < 0.00001) than the control group, which is, according to the authors, also a sign of a small airways disease [26].…”