A comparative study on dust exposure, respiratory symptoms and lung function among farmers and non-farmers

Somaieh Samani, Ramazan Mirzaei, Ali Reza Ansari-Moghaddam

Abstract


Considering the importance and essence of farmers’ health, this study has been conducted with the aim of evaluating the amount of the dust confronting farmers and the farmers’ respiratory symptoms and function during the course of wheat collection in 2014 in Zabul villages (Sistan & Balouchestan province, Iran).
For this cross sectional study, the dust of the respiratory scope of two groups (farmers and non-farmers) was sampled by PVC filter for 90 minutes with the flow rate of 1.5 lit/min on the basis of NIOSH 0500 method during daily 8 work hours of 5 successive days of manual wheat reaping. Data regarding respiratory symptoms (n=50 rural men over the age of 40) was gathered through interviews and questionnaires, and pulmonary function was measured by Spiro lobe (made in MIR of the US); besides, data analysis was done by SPSS 18, T-Test, Chi-Square, and Logistic regression.
The mean dust intensity confronting the farmers was 36.7 mg/m3, and the rate of some breathing complaints namely coughing (P≤0.001), sputum (P≤0.009) and shortness of breath (P≤0.026) became meaningful in the two groups. The average amounts of spirometer parameters of the farmers were less than that of the non-farmers, and the statistical difference of all the parameters except for FEV1/FVC (P=0.06) was meaningful (P≤0.05). The results of the present study indicated that confronting with dust could cause respiratory complaints and decrease spirometer parameters in the farmers.

Keywords


Farmer, Dust, Respiratory capacity, Spirometer

Full Text:

PDF

References


Webb NP, McGowan HA, Phinn SR. McTainsh G.H. AUSLEM (Australian Land Erodibility Model): A tool for identifying wind erosion hazard in Australia. Geomorphology. 2006; 78(3-4): 179-00

Romano C. Prevention, diagnosis and management of the allergy risk in agriculture. Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia . 2013; 35(4): 334-38

Moleocznik A. Time of farmers' exposure to biological factors in agricultural working environment. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2004; 11(1): 85-89

Molocznik A. and Zagórski J. Exposure of female farmers to dust on family farms. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2000; 7(1) 43-50.

Molocznik A. Qualitive and QuantitiveAnalis of Agricultural Dust In Working Environment. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2002; 9(1): 71-78

Von Essen S, Fryzek J. Nowakowski B, Wampler M. Respiratory symptoms and farming practices in farmers associated with an acute febrile illness after organic dust exposure. Chest. 1999; 116(5):1452-58

Reeb-Whitaker CK, Bonauto DK. Respiratory disease associated with occupational inhalation to hop (Humulus lupulus) during harvest and processing, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2014; 113(5): 534-38

Poole JA, Romberger DJ. Immunological and inflammatory responses to organic dust in agriculture. Cur opin in allergy clin immunol. 2012; 12(2): 126-32

Monso E, Schenker M, Radon K, Riu E, Magarolas R, McCurdy S, et al. Region-related risk factors for respiratory symptoms in European and Californian farmers. Eur Respir J. 2003; 21(2): 323–31

Abu Sham'a F, Skogstad M, Nijem K, Bjertness E, Kristensen P. Lung function and respiratory symptoms in male Palestinian farmers. Archives of environmental & occupational health. 2010; 65(4): 191-00

Green FHY, Yoshida K, Paul J, Hugh A and Green WF. Characterization of airborne mineral dusts associated with farming activities in rural Alberta, Canada." International archives of occupational and environmental health. 1990; 62(6): 423-30

Voaklander DC, Dosman JA, Hagel L, Warsh J, Pickett W. For the Saskatchewan farm Injury Cohort Study. Farm work exposure of older male farmers in Saskatchewan. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2010; 53(7): 706-15

Fuchs O, Genuneit J, Latzin P, Buchele G, Horak E, Loss G, et al. Farming environments and childhood atopy, wheeze, lung function, and exhaled nitric oxide. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2012; 130(2): 382-88

Mirzaee R, Kebriaei A, Hashemi SR, Sadeghi M, Shahrakipour M. Effects of exposure to Portland cement dust on long function in Portland cement factory workers in Khash, Iran., J. Environ. Health. Sci. Eng., 2008; 5(3): 201-06

Washington R, Todd M, Middleton NJ, Goudie AS. Dust storm source areas determined by the total ozone monitoring spectrometer and surface observations. Annals of the Association of American Geographers. 2003; 93(2): 297–13

Khosravi M., Biochemical adverse effects caused by natural factors in sistan plain. Geographical Research. 1989; 13:163-84 [in persion] .

Stoecklin-Marois MT, Bigham CW, Bennett D, Tancredi D, Schenker MB. Occupational Exposures and Migration Factors Associated With Respiratory Health in California Latino Farm Workers: The MICASA Study. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2015; 57(2): 152-58

Clapp WD, Thorne PS, Frees KL, Zhang X, Lux CR, Schwartz DA. The effects of inhalation of grain dust extract and endotoxin on upper and lower airways. Chest. 1993; 104(3):825-30

Senthilselvan A, Chénard L, Grover V, Kirychuk SP, Hagel L, Ulmer K, et al. Excess longitudinal decline in lung function in grain farmers. Journal of agromedicine. 2010; 15(2): 157-65

Rodriquez EJ, Stoecklin-Marois MT, Bennett DH, Tancredi DJ, Schenker MB. Agricultural Work Exposures and Pulmonary Function Among Hired Farm Workers in California (The MICASA Study). Journal of agromedicine. 2014; 19(4): 427-36

Robbe P, Spierenburg EA, Draijer C, Brandsma CA, Telenga E, VanOosterhout AJ, et al. T-cell polarisation after agricultural dust exposure in mice and men. Thorax. 2014; 69(7): 630-7

Lemoigne F, Barre E, Arsento M, Bily F, Gibelin G, Pelser M, et al. Early detection of COPD in occupational medicine in the Alpes-Maritimes. Rev Mal Respir. 2015; 32(1):30-7




Iranian Journal of Health, Safety and Environment e-ISSN: :2345-5535 Iran university of Medical sciences, Tehran, Iran