Respiratory symptoms and dust exposure in Lancashire cotton and man-made fiber mill operatives.
A cross-sectional study of work-related symptoms and cotton dust exposure was made in 404 man-made fiber and 1,048 cotton operatives in Lancashire spinning mills; 39 cotton-exposed operatives (3.7%) had symptoms of byssinosis. This was associated on regression analysis with cumulative lifetime cotton dust exposure (p < 0.001), total years spent carding (p < 0.001), and currently working in the carding area (p = 0.0041). Smoking habit did not differ significantly between byssinotic and nonbyssinotic workers. Other work-related symptoms were common: chronic bronchitis (CB) and persistent cough. The prevalence of CB correlated positively with dust exposure (r = 0.59). Cotton dust sampling was performed in the work area (SDPRES) and personal breathing zone (PD1). A retrospective estimate of lifetime cotton dust exposure based on SDPRES correlated best with the prevalence of byssinosis (r = 0.797), although correlations with PD1 (r = 0.709) and SDPRES (r = 0.594) were also significant.
Fishwick
D
D
Department of Thoracic and Occupational Medicine, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Fletcher
A M
AM
Pickering
C A
CA
Niven
R M
RM
Faragher
E B
EB
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis; D002095:Byssinosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D003368:Gossypium; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking; D013783:Textile Industry
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust