Respiratory impairment in coffee factory workers in the Asaro Valley of Papua New Guinea.
In a coffee growing area of Papua New Guinea, a developing country in the western Pacific region, coffee factory workers were found to have more chronic symptomatic respiratory impairment than a carefully matched group of neighbouring villagers. This impairment was not related to their duration of employment. Coffee factory workers were found also to have a greater prevalence of reversible but asymptomatic airways obstruction on entering their factories after two days off duty than a group of soft drink factory workers. These findings are thought to be related to exposure to the dust produced in large quantities during coffee processing.
D000328:Adult; D003069:Coffee / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004391:Dust / Q000009:adverse effects; D005511:Food Handling; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010219:Papua New Guinea
D003069:Coffee; D004391:Dust