Occupational exposure to some environmental physical factors as related to productivity in the garment industry of Egypt

Background: garment industry in Egypt has been estimated in 2008 to be about 458 enterprises [employing 103,000 workers] representing 42.0% of the overall textile and garments industries, and 4.8% of the total private sector enterprises. Al-Mahalla Al-Kubra, which is the greatest city of El- Gharbia Governorate houses 263 [57.4%] of these enterprises [employing 12,209 workers]. The occupational exposure to physical hazards may adversely affect workers' comfort, health, performance and productivity

Objective[s]: this study was designed to assess the relation between work stresses imposed by exposure to physical hazards and productivity in Garment industry in that city

Methods: this was a cross-sectional study that was conducted in five garment enterprises in Al-Mahalla Al-Kobra city. The five enterprises included two public and three private sector units, representing 12% of the total number of garments' workers within the city. The collected data included data from records, workers' and employers' or managers' interview, and the results of the physical hazards' assessments. Since it was difficult to calculate the workers' productivities directly from enterprises' records, the productivities of the workers were computed as follows: % of productivity = Standard workers' productivity [100%] - % deficiency in his or her productivity from the standard

Results: the higher percent productivity reported in the Private sector enterprises [86.5%, 86.5% and 100% in C, D, and E enterprises respectively] than in the Public [71.5% and 54.7% in A and B enterprises respectively] may be attributed to the production payment regimen common in the former than in the latter. The workers in the Private-sector enterprises were keen to achieve the greatest production to get maximum payment. This may also interpret the considerably higher workers' attendance [less absenteeism] among Private-sector workers than in the Public-sector ones

Conclusions: the deleterious effects of workers' exposure to physical hazards; heat, noise and vibration, and improper illumination on their productivity are clearly demonstrated in the present study. Attention should be directed towards the control of these hazards and improving the work environment of the garment industry in Egypt, particularly in the Public sector enterprises

Study of the acidic deposition phenomenon over Alexandria city

Acid deposition commonly occurs due to conversion of primary acidic pollutants [SO[2] and NO[2]] into secondary pollutants [H[2]SO[4] and HNO[3] and their salts]. The main natural sources of acid deposition in Alexandria include lightening and microbial processes. Anthropogenic sources include traffic, industrial, fuel burning, and incineration activities. Acid deposition has ecological and economic effects in addition to health effects. The objective of this study is to assess acidity of dry and wet depositions in the atmosphere of Alexandria. Dry samples were collected as settled dust using plastic jar. Wet samples were collected as rain water using polyethylene bottle. All samples were analyzed for pH, sulfates, and nitrates. The relatively high pH values observed in depositions of Alexandria city [6.95 +/- 0.22] and [7.14 +/- 0.49] for settled dust and rain water respectively indicating the conversion of the formed acids [H[2]SO[4] and HNO[3]] into their salts. This explanation was confirmed by the relatively high concentrations of sulfates and nitrates. The average values were [14.3 +/- 4.21 g/km[2]/month and 20.5 +/- 9.5mg/L for sulfates], and [22.6 +/- 10.6 g/km[2]/month and 0.5 +/- 0.32 mg/L for nitrates] for settled dust and rainwater samples respectively. It can be concluded that Alexandria is a lucky city regarding acidity of the atmosphere due to its geographic, topographic, and meteorological features. Building up acid deposition monitoring network that covers all Egyptian cities to be a nucleus for African network, using new technologies that reduce emission of acid deposition precursors and alternative sources of energy, implementing and enforcing regulations and standards for major pollutants, and increasing public awareness are recommended

Evaluation of occupational hazards in foundries

The working environment of foundries is hazardous and characterized by multiple simultaneous chemical, physical and mechanical hazards exposure, which would lead to injuries of foundry workers. The aim of the present work is to evaluate occupational hazards in four foundries, two in Alexandria: El Nasr and Ramsis, and two in Behira: Misr Spinning and Weaving and Misr Rayon companies. Levels of total and respirable dust, free silica% in total dust and lead concentration in total and respirable dust; NO 2, SO 2 and CO concentrations; noise and heat stress levels have been determined in the present work. Occupational injuries data were analyzed in a three years period from 1998 to 2000. The results of the present work revealed; 1. The levels of total dust and respirable dust exceeded the threshold limit values at knockout and cleaning operations at El Nasr Company. 2. Free silica percentage exceeded permissible levels in all operations except pouring in El Nasr Company. 3. CO levels in Misr Spinning and Weaving Company were higher than threshold levels. 4. Noise levels in knockout and cleaning operations at the four companies were exceeding the threshold limit values. 5. Heat stress levels in melting and pouring operations in El Nasr and in pouring operation in Ramsis Company were higher than the maximum permissible levels. 6. The age group 31-40 years has recorded the highest average incidence rate of injuries of age groups [P<0.01]. 7. Lower extremities and higher extremities have recorded the highest average incidence rate in the four companies [P<0.001-P<0.01 respectively]. 8. Transportation and lifting was the main cause of injury in the four companies [P<0.05]. 9. Faulty action and striking against was the main mean of injury in the four companies [P<0.01]. 10. Ramsis Company has the highest average incidence rate in almost all injuries parameters and indices [frequency rate and severity rate] [P<0.05-P<0.001]. The present work is a massive survey, which highlights the occupational hazards in Egyptian foundries

Indoor air quality of schools in Alexandria city

Poor air quality in schools can affect children's desire and ability to concentrate and learn and may lead to increased rate of absenteeism. This study was carried out with the aim of characterizing and measuring indoor air quality in school buildings, measuring ventilation status and studying the impact of design and environmental parameters on some measured pollutant levels. The study was carried out in some primary schools of Alexandria City. All ventilation rate levels exceeded the ASHRAE standard of 15 cfm/pupil except for a few cases. Badly located and small window area led to air stagnation and low ventilation rates. Levels of TSP greatly exceeded a suggested daily guideline of 150 mug/m3. The highest average levels of TSP were found inside classrooms surrounded by unpaved playground and located near semi rural, commercial and heavy traffic areas, while lowest levels were in classrooms located next to residential areas. The average total bacteria were highest in winter. There was also a slight increase in respiratory symptoms and signs in winter. There was a significant positive correlation between average total, pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria with average TSP Levels, indoor CO2 levels and relative humidity; while a significant negative correlation was observed with ventilation rate and class volume occupied. The average attack rate of respiratory conditions was 1.96 episode per child. Running nose was the highest frequent symptom. Students of first grade had an incidence rate higher than that among fifth grade students

Development of a modified method for the simultaneous determination of vinyl chloride monomer and ethylene dichloride in the air

A commercial grade activated carbon has been used as an adsorbent medium. It has been loaded via a simple device with different mixtures of vinyl chloride and ethylene dichloride each administered separately. About 3 g of loaded active carbon is put in a vacutainer tube while 10 ml of technical grade CS2 as adsorbent is added. The tube is stoppered and stored at 4C. After 24 hours, 1 ml aliquot is injected through a closed loop to a precalibrated infrared gas analyzer to assess the percentage recovery of vinyl chloride and ethylene dichloride. The spent activated carbon is washed thoroughly with water and is dried in two stages [at 50C for 8 hours and at 120C for 16 hours] to be used again. The procedure is accurate, precise, simple and economic. It gave percentage recoveries of 85% for VCM and 100% for EDC. It depends on the available resources, making it a suitable methodology to be applied in a developing country

follow-up study of workers' exposure to mercury vapour in a fluorescent tube manufacturing plant in Alexandria, Egypt

The present study was conducted after 10 years of a previous one in order to check the effect of the technical manifestations excuted in a fluorescent tubes manufacturing plant on work environment and workers' health. The environmental condition have worsened indicating deficient modifications and/or environmental deteriorations. Medical and laboratory investigations of 81 workers and 50 controls indicated that complaints related to mercurialism prevailed in high proportion of the workers. Their blood and urinary mercury were correlated with the environmental exposure, but not with the toxic manifestations. Renal impairment was demonstrated among the workers as a significant higher mean serum creatinine level than that of the controls

Study of the role of airborne lead in food chain of crops grown around a main highway in Egypt

The present study was conducted to clarify the fate of airborne lead derived from petrol and its role in the food chain of tomato cultivated in lead - contaminated -soil. Settled dust was sampled at 4 stations at 7, 75, 150 and 500 meters from Alexandria/Cairo highway, and analysed for lead, sulfate and nitrate. Tomato fruits -and plants - were harvested at the sampling sites and analysed for lead. Settled dust and lead content steadily decreased by distance from the highway, indicating that traffic derived lead aggregates with other pollutants in particles and settle at distance of a few hundred meters. The lead tends to be evenly distributed in aggregates of different particle sizes, while the sulfate and nitrate tend to concentrate in medium-sized aggregates. The lead in plants of different stages of growth correlated with that in the dust, and was the highest in fruit and roots. Lead contamination of the plant had an impact on tomato crop reduction. The levels of lead in tomato fruits were 17.7 ppm in the samples collected at 7 - 500 meters from the highway, while the legal limit for lead in food is 1 ppm

Byssinosis and other respiratory conditions as related to dust exposure in mechanical flax processing in Egypt

This study comprised half [n =224] of the workers in a typical flax processing factory in Egypt. Byssinosis was present in 45.1% of the workers, 38.0% of them had their FEV[1.0], reduced >/= 10% and 96.9% had the predicted FVC