Respiratory findings in spice factory workers

The respiratory consequences a. working in the spice industry were studie n 92 female spice factory workers (mean age, 36 yr; mean exposure, 12 yr). A control group of 104 female workers employed in a nondusty industry was also studied. The prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was significantly higher in the exposed than in the control group. In particular, the prevalence of dyspnea (57.6%), chronic cough (22.8%), chronic phlegm and chronic bronchitis (19.6%), nasal catarrh (37.0%), and sinusitis (22.2%) was high when compared to controls (p <.01). Among spice factory workers, a high prevalence of acute symptoms during the workshift was recorded. Acute reductions in lung function were statistically significant over the workshift for forced vital capacity (FVC), - 2.0%; forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV.,), - 3.0%; and for maximum expiratory flow rates at 50% (FEF,), - 8.3% and at 25% (FEF,), - 15.2% measured on maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curves. No difference was found in across-shift ventilatory function in workers with or without chronic respiratory symptoms, except for FEF2, (with symptoms, 16.7%; without symptoms, 9.6%). Preshift administration of 40 mg of disodium cromoglycate (DSC) inhaled 15 min before the workshift significantly diminished acute reductions in FEFso and FEFas in exposed workers. Monday preshift FEF- and FEFa5 in exposed workers were significantly lower than in control workers (p <.Ol), which suggests an early irreversible component to this illness.