Effect of cotton dust on lungs among female workers in cotton industry in northern Gujarat, India.

Bioinformation. 2022; 18(3): 255–260. Published online 2022 Mar 31. doi: 10.6026/97320630018255 PMCID: PMC9722434 PMID: 36518136 Effect of cotton dust on lungs among female workers in cotton industry in northern Gujarat, India Gnanadesigan Ekambaram,1,* Alkesh Vara,1 Shah Mansi Nileshkumar,2 and N Sivasubramanian3 Gnanadesigan Ekambaram 1Department of Physiology, Nootan Medical College & Research Centre, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar, Gujarat, India Find articles by Gnanadesigan Ekambaram Alkesh Vara 1Department of Physiology, Nootan Medical College & Research Centre, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar, Gujarat, India Find articles by Alkesh Vara Shah Mansi Nileshkumar 2IIIrd Year MBBS Student, Nootan Medical College & Research Centre, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar, Gujarat, India Find articles by Shah Mansi Nileshkumar N Sivasubramanian 3Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Nootan College of Nursing, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar, Gujarat, India Find articles by N Sivasubramanian Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer 1Department of Physiology, Nootan Medical College & Research Centre, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar, Gujarat, India 2IIIrd Year MBBS Student, Nootan Medical College & Research Centre, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar, Gujarat, India 3Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Nootan College of Nursing, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar, Gujarat, India *Gnanadesigan Ekambaram ni.ude.lacidemnatoon@yhp_nagisede Received 2021 Dec 28; Revised 2022 Mar 27; Accepted 2022 Mar 31. Copyright © 2022 Biomedical Informatics This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. Abstract Byssinosis is a disabling occupational lung disease caused by cotton dust. It is a well-known occupational respiratory disease in cotton industry workers caused by cotton dust pollution. Many studies have been documented the effects of cotton dust on pulmonary function among workers employed in cotton-spinning mills. However, little data exist on the prevalence of this disorder in female workers particularly in western part of India. The present study was conducted to analyze the effects of exposure to cotton dust on pulmonary functions among female workers. The study was designed to assess the effects of exposure to cotton dust on lung functions among female cotton industry workers. Study group comprises 50 Female workers of cotton industry and control group comprises 50 age matched females who were neither worked in cotton industry nor exposed to cotton dust. Information was collected using standardized questionnaires, physical examination and spirometric measurements. Student's T test was used to find the difference between spirometric parameters. All the respiratory parameters (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, FEF 25-75 % PEFR and MVV) were reduced in cotton industry workers as compared with control subjects (p<0.0001) and no significant difference of SpO2 between groups. Cotton dust exposure makes huge impact on respiratory parameters of the cotton industry workers. This deterioration in respiratory health deteriorates with increasing duration of exposure. The health hazards caused by cotton dust should be controlled by creating awareness among the workers & employers. Keywords: Cotton dust, cotton industry workers, pulmonary function tests Background: Byssinosis is a crippling occupational lung disease caused by cotton dust. It is a well known occupational respiratory disease among cotton mill workers induced by cotton dust pollution. Byssinosis also called Brown Lung or Brown Lung disease is a type of Pneumoconiosis caused by dust from cotton fibers. Inhaled dust stimulates histamine release which causes constriction of the air passages, making breathing difficult over time. Inhalation of the dust particles depends on its aerodynamic diameter, surrounding air's velocity, and breathing rate of the person. The inhaled fine cotton dust particles would get sedimented in the gas-exchange part of the lung tissue, where air flow is slow. These fine particles get lodged in the respiratory bronchioles within the central part of the acinus. The duration of exposure to cotton dust, type of dust, concentration of dust and the size of dust particle influence the effect on lungs [1]. The prevalence of respiratory problems related to cotton industry have been reported and varies from 2% in the USA in the late 1970s, 4 to 63% in England in the late 1950s [2] when compare with developed countries, prevalence rate is continues to be high in developing countries. The dust accumulates in the lung tissue and producing a distinct color that gives the disease its common name. Various epidemiologic studies of cotton industry workers have demonstrated evidence of lung involvement resulting from occupational exposure to cotton dust [3]. Initially workers have shortness of breath and tightness of chest on the first day of work. Hence it is also known as "Monday dyspnoea". Spirometry is crucial for evaluation of lung function both in clinical and occupational medicine and it is indicated at all the levels of prevention and its uses range from pre-employment evaluation or surveillance programs to clinical assessment of symptomatic subjects [4]. Recently pulmonary function tests (PFT) have opened a new beginning towards scientific approach in diagnosis, prognosis and management of lung abnormalities. The normal value ranges for pulmonary function tests (PFT's) will be adjusted for the subject's sex, height, and race [5 - check with author]. PFTs provide an objective and quantifiable measure of lung functions [6]. It permits an accurate and reproducible data of the working state of the lung tissue and allows assessment of severity level of lung pathology. The health imperilment of the women working in the cotton textile industry is much higher compared to male in other sectors. Most of the workers in these sectors are unfamiliar of this negative impact on their health and they mostly do not take any safety precautions at all times. A mortality study conducted in 1985 of women aged between 15 to 74 years found a raised proportional mortality ratio (PMR) from all causes of respiratory disease, including byssinosis, in cotton textile workers particularly among laborers. The Occupational Health Decennial Supplement published in 1995 reported a marked PMR for byssinosis than other diseases like chronic bronchitis and emphysema in female textile workers. Many research articles have been reported the negative impact of cotton dust on pulmonary function among workers employed in cotton-spinning mills. However, scarcity exists on the prevalence of this lung disorder in female workers particularly in weste (...truncated)