Journal article
EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO GRAIN DUST IN POLISH FARMERS: WORK-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND IMMUNOLOGIC RESPONSE TO MICROBIAL ANTIGENS ASSOCIATED WITH DUST
Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, Vol.5(2), pp.147-153
01/01/1998
PMID: 9860817
Abstract
Medical examinations were performed in a group of 76 Polish farmers heavily exposed to grain dust during harvesting and threshing, and in a group of 63 healthy urban dwellers not exposed to organic dusts (controls). The examinations included: interview concerning the occurrence of respiratory disorders and work-related symptoms, physical examination, lung function tests, and allergological tests comprising skin prick test with 4 microbial antigens associated with grain dust and agar-gel precipitation test with 12 microbial antigens. As many as 34 farmers (44.7%) reported the occurrence of work-related symptoms during harvesting and threshing. The most common was dry cough reported by 20 individuals (26.3%). Dyspnoea was reported by 15 farmers (19.7%), tiredness by 12 (15.7%), chest tightness by 8 (10.5%), plugging of nose and hoarseness by 5 each (6.5%). No control subjects reported these work-related symptoms. The mean spirometric values in the examined group of farmers were within the normal range, but a significant post-shift decrease of these values was observed after work with grain. The farmers showed a frequency of the positive early skin reactions to environmental allergens in the range of 10.8 - 45.5%, and a frequency of positive precipitin reactions in range of 3.9 - 40.8%. The control group responded to the majority of allergens with a significantly lower frequency of positive results compared to the farmers. The obtained results showed a high response of grain farmers to inhalant microbial allergens and indicate a potential risk of occupational respiratory diseases (such as allergic alveolitis, asthma, Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome) among this population.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO GRAIN DUST IN POLISH FARMERS: WORK-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND IMMUNOLOGIC RESPONSE TO MICROBIAL ANTIGENS ASSOCIATED WITH DUST
- Creators
- Czeslawa Skorska - Inst Agr Med, Dept Occupat Biohazards, PL-20950 Lublin, PolandBarbara Mackiewicz - Med Acad, Clin Lung Dis, Lublin, PolandJacek Dutkiewicz - Inst Agr Med, Dept Occupat Biohazards, PL-20950 Lublin, PolandEwa Krysinska-Traczyk - Inst Agr Med, Dept Occupat Biohazards, PL-20950 Lublin, PolandJanusz Milanowski - Inst Agr Med, Dept Occupat Biohazards, PL-20950 Lublin, PolandHelen Feltovich - Univ Iowa, Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Environm & Occupat Hlth, Iowa City, IA USAJeffrey Lange - Univ Iowa, Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Environm & Occupat Hlth, Iowa City, IA USAPeter S. Thorne - University of Iowa, Occupational and Environmental Health
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, Vol.5(2), pp.147-153
- Publisher
- Inst Agricultural Medicine
- PMID
- 9860817
- ISSN
- 1232-1966
- eISSN
- 1898-2263
- Number of pages
- 7
- Grant note
- 4P05D02214 / Polish State Committee for Scientific Research (KBN); Polish State Committee for Scientific Research
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/01/1998
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health
- Record Identifier
- 9983557694202771
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