title: Chronic respiratory symptoms among workers at a limestone factory in Zambia.
abstract: Limestone processing is a global industry, but few studies have assessed respiratory health among limestone workers. At a limestone factory in Zambia, the authors studied 70 high-exposed workers from the production department, 40 medium-exposed from engineering, and 30 low-exposed from administration. A modified British Medical Research Council respiratory questionnaire was used for recording chronic respiratory symptoms. The prevalence of symptoms was highest among the production workers. After adjusting for age, smoking, previous jobs, and past respiratory diseases, the production workers still had a significantly increased relative risk for cough day and night, cough 4 to 6 times daily in a month, and cough with sputum. The results indicate that exposure to limestone dust is associated with increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms. Until newer technology is installed, proper use of personal protective equipments should be emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department for Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Doreen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bwalya
authors.forename: Magne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bråtveit
authors.forename: Bente E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Moen
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity*; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000633:toxicity*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015024:Zambia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D002119:Calcium Carbonate