title: Monitoring of cotton dust and health risk assessment in small-scale weaving industry.
abstract: The present study describes the estimation of particulate matter (cotton dust) with different sizes, i.e., PM(1.0), PM(2.5), PM(4.0), and PM(10.0 μm) in small-scale weaving industry (power looms) situated in district Hafizabad, Punjab, Pakistan, and the assessment of health problems of workers associated with these pollutants. A significant difference was found in PM(1.0), PM(2.5), PM(4.0), and PM(10.0) with reference to nine different sampling stations with p values <0.05. Multiple comparisons of particulate matter with respect to size, i.e. PM(1.0), PM(2.5), PM(4.0), and PM(10.0), depict that PM(1.0) differs significantly from PM(2.5), PM(4.0), and PM(10.0), with p values <0.05 and that PM(2.5) differs significantly from PM(1.0) and PM(10.0), with p values <0.05, whereas PM(2.5) differs non-significantly from PM(4.0), with a p value >0.05 in defined sampling stations on an average basis. Majority of the workers were facing several diseases due to interaction with particulate matter (cotton dust) during working hours. Flue, cough, eye, and skin infections were the most common diseases among workers caused by particulate matter (cotton dust).
authors.affiliation: Center for Population, Urban and Environment Studies, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan. wajid.tahir@uog.edu.pk
authors.forename: Muhammad Wajid
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Tahir
authors.forename: Muhammad Waseem
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Mumtaz
authors.forename: Shanza
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tauseef
authors.forename: Muqadas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sajjad
authors.forename: Awais
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nazeer
authors.forename: Nazish
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Farheen
authors.forename: Muddsar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iqbal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D002095:Byssinosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D032561:Cotton Fiber; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010154:Pakistan; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013784:Textiles; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust