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An environmental and medical study of byssinosis and other respiratory conditions in the cotton textile industry in Egypt
Author(s) -
Noweir Madbuli H.,
Noweir Kamal H.,
Osman Hassan A.,
Moselhi Mohamed
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.4700060303
Subject(s) - byssinosis , medicine , environmental health , textile industry , toxicology , population , carding , engineering , geography , biology , archaeology , mechanical engineering
This study was conducted in a typical Egyptian textile plant located in Alexandria. Male workers from all operations (N = 506) were examined and their dust exposures were assessed. Results showed that airborne dust concentrations were very high and that the plant fraction is mostly concentrated in respirable dust. Byssinosis prevailed in 21% of workers in opening and cleaning sections and in 13% in carding and combing rooms, but was found in none of the workers in drawing, twisting, and spinning operations, in only 1.1% in weaving, and in 3.1% of workers in other “auxiliary” occupations. The rare prevalence of byssinosis among the latter workers' groups was attributed to the workers' continuous exposure without fixed weekend interruption, the personal and family history of exposure to cotton, the low proportion of plant materials in dust evolved in related operations, the fine quality of Egyptian cotton, and/or the population characteristics of Egyptian workers. Reduction in FEV 1.0 at the end of the first work shift after absence from work occured more often than byssinosis, which indicates the importance of this test for the early detection of effects of cotton dust exposure. It is suggested that a nationwide study in the cotton textile industry is indicated.