RESUMEN
The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of anaemia in 3,275 males and 155 females intending to work abroad. Information about age, sex and geographical residence was taken and haemoglobin levels were determined by spectrophotometry using the cyanmethaemoglobin method. Forty-four percent of the total came from the north-eastern part of Thailand while 37 percent and 19 percent came from the northern and other parts of the country, respectively. Their ages ranged from 17 to 59 years. The mean haemoglobin levels of males was higher than that of females (13.9+1.35 vs 12.6+1.26 g/dl, P<0.001). The overall prevalence of anaemia was 11.9 percent and was significantly higher in females (24.5% compared with 11.3% in males, [P<0.0001]). This difference could be demonstreated for each part of the country and each age group. Among the males, there was a difference in the females because of the small sample size. Anaemia is common among Thai labourers; thus the screening of their haemoglobin levels should be performed routinely before they go abroad.
RESUMEN
Castor bean is one of the agricultural cash crops of economic importance, the health hazards of castor bean dust that recently made headlines in the mass media alerted many governmental agencies concerned to take action. The castor oil mill started operation in 1979, at Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prokan 50 km east of Bangkok. A few months after the operation, people who lived within 2 kilometres of the mill began to develop respiratory ailments: cough, sneezing, headache, nasal blockage, wheezing, violent attacks of asthma. An epidemiological survey carried out showed that castor bean dust was the major health hazards in the villages within 2 kilometres of the castor oil mill in Phra Pradaeng. The patients suffering from asthma due to castor bean had no further attacks after closure of the factory. The study indicated that to minimize the health hazard problem, the castor bean oil mill should improve its method of collecting the castor bean pomace.