TY - JOUR
T1 - Dose-response of cotton dust exposure with lung function among textile workers
T2 - MultiTex study in Karachi, Pakistan
AU - Ali, Naureen Akber
AU - Nafees, Asaad Ahmed
AU - Fatmi, Zafar
AU - Azam, Syed Iqbal
N1 - Funding Information:
Financial Support: This report is part of the larger MultiTex study, which was supported by a grant (Grant No 20-2759/ R&D/HEC/12) from the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and the funder had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The content is exclusively the accountability of the authors.
Funding Information:
This report is part of the larger MultiTex study, which was supported by a grant (Grant No 20-2759/ R&D/HEC/12) from the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and the funder had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The content is exclusively the accountability of the authors.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, NIOC Health Organization. All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/7
Y1 - 2018/7
N2 - Background: Cotton dust exposure among textile mill workers lead to impaired lung function. However, only few studies have investigated the dose-response relationship between cotton dust and lung function. Objective: To determine the dose-response relationship between cotton dust exposure and lung function among textile workers. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to March 2016 and included 303 adult male textile workers from spinning and weaving sections of 5 mills in Karachi, Pakistan. We collected data through a translated version of the American Thoracic Society respiratory questionnaire (ATS-DLD-78A) and using spirometry. Mill-level airborne cotton dust was measured over an 8–12-hour shift through UCB-PATS (University of California, Berkeley-Particle, and Temperature Monitoring System). Multiple linear regression was used to determine the association between cotton dust exposure and lung function assessed through the 3 indices: forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and their ratio (FEV1/FVC). Results: The mean age of the workers was 32.5 (SD 10.5) years. The mean spirometry indices expressed in percent predicted values were FEV1 82.6 (SD 14.0); FVC 90.3 (14.7), and FEV1/FVC 94.9 (10.5). The median cotton dust concentration was 0.61 (IQR 0.2 to 1.3) mg/ m3. The frequency of respiratory symptoms was 15% for cough, 20% for phlegm, and 20% for wheezing. After adjustment for covariates, every mg/m3 increase in dust concentration was associated with 5.4% decline in FEV1. Conclusion: This study quantifies the exposure-dependent relationship between cotton dust and lung function; which has implications for regulations and standards in the textile industry in Pakistan and similar cotton-processing countries.
AB - Background: Cotton dust exposure among textile mill workers lead to impaired lung function. However, only few studies have investigated the dose-response relationship between cotton dust and lung function. Objective: To determine the dose-response relationship between cotton dust exposure and lung function among textile workers. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to March 2016 and included 303 adult male textile workers from spinning and weaving sections of 5 mills in Karachi, Pakistan. We collected data through a translated version of the American Thoracic Society respiratory questionnaire (ATS-DLD-78A) and using spirometry. Mill-level airborne cotton dust was measured over an 8–12-hour shift through UCB-PATS (University of California, Berkeley-Particle, and Temperature Monitoring System). Multiple linear regression was used to determine the association between cotton dust exposure and lung function assessed through the 3 indices: forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and their ratio (FEV1/FVC). Results: The mean age of the workers was 32.5 (SD 10.5) years. The mean spirometry indices expressed in percent predicted values were FEV1 82.6 (SD 14.0); FVC 90.3 (14.7), and FEV1/FVC 94.9 (10.5). The median cotton dust concentration was 0.61 (IQR 0.2 to 1.3) mg/ m3. The frequency of respiratory symptoms was 15% for cough, 20% for phlegm, and 20% for wheezing. After adjustment for covariates, every mg/m3 increase in dust concentration was associated with 5.4% decline in FEV1. Conclusion: This study quantifies the exposure-dependent relationship between cotton dust and lung function; which has implications for regulations and standards in the textile industry in Pakistan and similar cotton-processing countries.
KW - Byssinosis
KW - Cotton fiber
KW - Occupational exposure
KW - Pakistan
KW - Respiratory function tests
KW - Spirometry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85049998544&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.15171/ijoem.2018.1191
DO - 10.15171/ijoem.2018.1191
M3 - Article
C2 - 29995017
AN - SCOPUS:85049998544
SN - 2008-6520
VL - 9
SP - 120
EP - 128
JO - International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JF - International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
IS - 3
ER -
