Respiratory disorders in workers exposed to tobacco dust

Tobacco dust when inhaled as an aerosol, may exert a variety of harmful effects on the airways and lungs. To study the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, lung function impairment and parenchymal changes in chest x-rays among tobacco exposed workers. This study was conducted, in a tobacco processing plant that manufactures cigarettes in Alexandria, Egypt. One hundred and forty eight tobacco workers and an equal number of unexposed referents were interviewed by a questionnaire based on the Standard Medical Research Council questionnaire. Immediately after the interview workers underwent measurements of lung functions, and chest X rays were performed and interpreted, according to the classification of pneumoconiosis. This study clearly demonstrates that exposure to tobacco dust has led to significant increase in the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms as cough, phlegm production, wheeze, and breathlessness, also respiratory diseases as chronic bronchitis and asthma were significantly more encountered among tobacco workers compared with unexposed workers. After adjusting for age and smoking still exposure to tobacco dust was a significant risk factor for chronic respiratory symptoms and chromic bronchitis. Significant decrements were also observed in the spirometry data for tobacco workers, where the mean parentages of predicted values of lung function indices reflecting large and small airway functions [VC, FVC, FEV1, FEV[1%], PEFR, FEF[75%], FEF[50%] and FEF[25%]] were all significantly lower in tobacco workers compared with unexposed workers even after allowing for the effects of age, height, weight and smoking; with a marked significant decrease in FEF[25%] suggesting a constrictor effect of tobacco dust on small airways. No findings suggestive of pneumoconiosis were observed in this study. Tobacco dust had deleterious effects on the respiratory system of tobacco exposed workers and the level of protection for exposed workers should be increased