title: Exposure to respirable flour dust and gliadin in wheat flour mills.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of respirable flour dusts and gliadin as well as gliadin-specific serum antibodies in exposed workers of Hamadan wheat flour mill factories.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples from 95 exposed workers and 80 air samples from flour packing, husk packing, flour production and wheat unloading areas were collected. Respirable flour dust density was measured by a gravimetric method, and dust gliadin concentration as well as serum antibodies were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Time-weighted average (TWA) flour dust density was higher in all factories (1.56-4.68 mg/m(3)) compared with the threshold limit value (0.5 mg/m(3)) of ACGIH and showed a positive correlation with the gliadin concentration (p<0.05). Additionally, the respirable dust and gliadin concentrations were significantly higher at flour packing workstations compare with the other work areas. Moreover, the mean serum gliadin-specific IgA and IgG and total IgE antibodies were remarkably higher in exposed mill workers compared with the controls (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We clearly demonstrated that workers in Hamadan flour mills are in exposed to a hazardous level of respirable flour dust, receiving the highest level of dust and gliadin in flour packing areas. Furthermore, dust-exposed workers showed upper levels of serum antibodies indicating exposure to higher amounts of allergens than controls.
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. khodadadi@umsha.ac.ir
authors: Iraj
authors: I
authors: Khodadadi
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Abdi
authors: Mohsen
authors: M
authors: Aliabadi
authors: Effat Sadat
authors: ES
authors: Mirmoeini
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005433:Flour / Q000032:analysis*; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D005903:Gliadin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000097:blood; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D005903:Gliadin