title: Systematic review of respiratory health among dairy workers.
abstract: The dairy industry is changing on a global scale with larger, more efficient operations. The impact of this change on worker health and safety, specifically, associations between occupational lung disease and inhalation exposures, has yet to be reported in a comprehensive review of the scientific literature. Therefore, a three-tier process was used to identify information using a keyword search of online databases of scientific literature. Of the 147 citations reviewed, 52 met initial screening criteria, and 30 were included in this review. Dairy workers experience lung conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, chronic bronchitis, and cancer. Recent pulmonary function studies have identified obstructive lung changes among dairy farm workers. The increased scale of dairy production with significant changes in technology and work practices has altered inhalation exposure patterns among dairy workers. The inhalation exposure in the dairy work environment may elicit differing inflammatory responses in relation to timing of initial exposure as well as to repeated exposures. Few studies have measured inhalation exposure while simultaneously assessing the impact of the exposure on lung function of dairy farm workers. Even fewer studies have been implemented to assess the impact of aerosol control technology to reduce inhalation exposure. Future research should evaluate worker exposure to aerosols through a task-based approach while utilizing novel methods to assess inhalation exposure and associated inflammatory responses. Finally, potential solutions should be developed and tested to reduce inhalation exposure to inflammatory agents and respiratory diseases in the dairy farm work environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA. stephen.reynolds@colostate.edu
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Nonnenmann
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Basinas
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Elfman
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Shelley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirychuck
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Joshua W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Schaeffer
authors.forename: Marc B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Schenker
authors.forename: Vivi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schlünssen
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sigsgaard
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D029481:Bronchitis, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003612:Dairying; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational