title: Prevalence of byssinosis and respiratory symptoms among cotton mill workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While the prevalence of byssinosis is decreasing in industrialized countries and persists at high levels in developing countries, this prevalence is remaining constant in Turkey.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In order to determine the effects of past cotton dust exposure on the respiratory tract, a total of 223 persons working in a cotton mill were included in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was used to inquire about respiratory symptoms. Participants underwent several spirometric measurements, which were performed on the 1st, 3rd and 5th day of the working week. Cotton dust measurements were performed in different divisions of the factory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common respiratory symptom was chest tightness (20.3%). The prevalence of byssinosis was 14.2% in cotton-processing workers. Among these cases, 28.6% had symptoms on the 1st day of the week, and 71.4% had symptoms on all days of the week. An acute effect was seen in 53.6% of the workers with byssinosis. Mean respirable dust levels were between 0.095 and 0.413 mg/m(3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In spite of technological improvements, respirable dust concentrations are still above the permissible limits, and thus the risk of byssinosis remains. Workers in the cotton industry where obsolete technology is used and standardized protection measures are not applied should be followed for byssinosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Medical Faculty, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Altin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozkurt
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fisekçi
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Cimrin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zencir
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sevinc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002095:Byssinosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D003368:Gossypium / Q000009:adverse effects; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013783:Textile Industry; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology