Airflow limitation among workers in a labour-intensive coal mine in Tanzania.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the relationship between cumulative respirable dust and quartz exposure and lung functioning among workers in a labour-intensive coal mine.


METHODS
The study population comprised 299 men working at a coal mine in Tanzania. Lung function was assessed using a Vitalograph alpha III spirometer in accordance with American Thoracic Society recommendations. Multiple linear regression models were developed to study the relationship between forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV(1)/FVC and the cumulative dust or quartz exposure while adjusting for age, height and ever smoking. To evaluate trends for dose response, cumulative exposure concentrations for respirable dust and quartz were ranked and categorized in quartiles and the highest decile, with the first quartile as the reference group. Logistic regression models were used to determine odds ratios for FEV(1)/FVC < 0.7 and FEV(1)% < 80 for categories of cumulative dust or quartz exposure.


RESULTS
The prevalence of FEV(1)/FVC < 0.7 among the workers was 17.3%. Workers in the development team (20.5%) had the highest prevalence of FEV(1)% < 80%. The estimates of the effects of cumulative exposure on FEV(1)/FVC were -0.015% per mg years m(-3) for respirable dust and -0.3% per mg years m(-3) for respirable quartz. In logistic regression models, the odds ratios for airway limitation (FEV(1)/FVC < 0.7) for the workers in the highest decile of cumulative dust and quartz exposure versus the referents were 4.36 (95% confidence interval: 1.06, 17.96) and 3.49 (0.92, 13.21), respectively. The upper 10% of workers by cumulative dust and quartz exposure also had higher odds ratios for predicted FEV(1)% < 80% than the reference group odds ratio: 10.38 (1.38, 78.13) and 14.18 (1.72, 116.59), respectively. The results must be interpreted with caution due to a possible healthy worker effect and selection bias.


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to respirable coal mine dust was associated with airway limitation as measured by FEV(1)/FVC and predicted FEV(1)%.
Mamuya
Simon H D
SH
Centre for International Health and Section for Occupational Medicine, Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Kalfarveien 31, 5018, Bergen, Norway. mamuyasimon@yahoo.com
Bråtveit
Magne
M
Mashalla
Yohana J S
YJ
Moen
Bente E
BE
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity*; D003032:Coal Mining; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004391:Dust; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011791:Quartz / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013636:Tanzania
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust; D011791:Quartz