Respiratory hazards among workers in flour milling industry

In flour milling industry, respiratory disorders are the main health problems resulting from exposure to grain dust and flour. The aim of this work is to study the prevalence of different respiratory diseases [bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, and asthmatic bronchitis] among workers in South Cairo flour Mills Company, and to detect pulmonary ventilatory impairement among them. In our study, chronic obstructive airway diseases [COAD] especially asthmatic bronchitis were significantly higher among exposed workers than among control group, also among exposed smokers than control smokers. The prevalence of COAD among exposed workers showed a significant positive association with the duration of emlpyement. Ventilatory function measurements showed sinificantly lower values of FEV/FVC% FEV and FVC% for exosed workers than the controls, also exposed smokers than exposed non smokers. All ventilatory function measurements showed a significant inverse relationship with duration of exposure

Auto exhaust pollution [in Cairo] and cardio respiratory disorders

Five hundred and five traffic policemen, busdrivers and garage mechanics from Greater Cairo were examined. Examination included full history taking, clinical examination of heart and chest, electrocardiogaraphic recordings, pulmonary function tests and estimation of blood lead and carboxyhaemoglobin. The results showed that the frequency distribution of chronic non specific respiratory diseases [CNRD] and cardiovascular diseases increase with age, duration of employment and in smokers. Hypertension and ischaemic heart diseases increased significantly with age, for policemen. The same was observed between Ischaemic heart diseases and duration of employment, in policemen also. A directly proportional relation was found between ischaemic heart diseases and carboxyhaemoglobin levels; the same was found between hypertension and blood lead levels. The results of ventilatory function tests showed that FVC% was unaffected; while FEV1% was reduced in the examined group. There was also a directly proportional relation of blood lead levels with duration of employment as well as carboxyhaemoglobin levels with both duration of employment and smoking. Smoking proved to play an important role in development and frequency distribution of cardiovascular and respiratory disorders; ii also influenced carboxyhaemoglobin levels. Policemen group was the most affected, if compared to drivers and mechanics in all the studied parameters