Respiratory symptoms, lung function, and nasal cellularity in Indonesian wood workers: a dose-response analysis

• Published in: Occupational and environmental medicine (London, England) England), 2002-05, Vol.59 (5), p.338-344
• Main Authors: Borm, P J A, Jetten, M, Hidayat, S, van de Burgh, N, Leunissen, P, Kant, I, Houba, R, Soeprapto, H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; airway disease; Airway obstruction; Analysis of Variance; Asthma; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COPD; Cross-Sectional Studies; dose-response; Dust; Dust - adverse effects; Employment; Female; FEV1; forced expiratory volume in 1 second; forced oscillation technique; Forced vibration; forced vital capacity; Forest products; FOT; frequency dependence; FVC; Health aspects; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Humans; Hypotheses; impedance; Indonesia; Inflammation; Lung - physiology; Lung diseases; Lungs; Male; maximal mid-expiratory flow; Medical sciences; Men; MMEF; NAL; nasal inflammation; nasal lavage; Nasal Mucosa - immunology; Occupational exposure; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Original; peak expiratory flow volume; PEF; Plywood; Pneumology; Respiratory function; Respiratory Function Tests; Respiratory symptoms; Respiratory system : syndromes and miscellaneous diseases; Respiratory tract; Risk factors; Smoking - adverse effects; the frequency at which X equals zero; Therapeutic irrigation; Vital capacity; Wood; wood dust; Woodworking; Working women
• ISSN: 1351-0711; 1470-7926
• DOI: 10.1136/oem.59.5.338

Objectives: It was hypothesised that inflammation plays a dominant part in the respiratory effects of exposure to wood dust. The purpose of this study was to relate the nasal inflammatory responses of workers exposed to meranti wood dust to (a) levels of exposure, (b) respiratory symptoms and (c) respiratory function. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in 1997 in a woodworking plant that used mainly meranti, among 982 workers exposed to different concentrations of wood dust. Personal sampling (n=243) of inhalable dust measurements indicated mean exposure in specific jobs, and enabled classification of 930 workers in three exposure classes (5 mg/m3) based on job title. Questionnaires were used to screen respiratory symptoms in the entire population. Lung function was measured with two different techniques, conventional flow-volume curves and the forced oscillation technique. Nasal lavage was done to assess inflammation in the upper respiratory tract. Results: A negative trend between years of employment and most flow-volume variables was found in men, but not in women workers. Current exposure, however, was not related to spirometric outcomes, respiratory symptoms, or nasal cellularity. Some impedance variables were related to current exposure but also with better function at higher exposure. Conclusions: Exposure to meranti wood dust did not cause an inflammation in the upper respiratory tract nor an increase of respiratory symptoms or decrease of lung function. These data do not corroborate the hypothesis that inflammation plays a part in airway obstruction induced by wood dust.