Respiratory Findings in Spice Factory Workers

Abstract

The respiratory consequences of working in the spice industry were studied in 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_1.0), −3.0%; and for maximum expiratory flow rates at 50% (FEF₅₀), − 8.3% and at 25% (FEF₂₅), −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 FEF₂₅ (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 FEF₅₀ and FEF₂₅ in exposed workers. Monday preshift FEF₅₀ and FEF₂₅ in exposed workers were significantly lower than in control workers (p < .01), which suggests an early irreversible component to this illness.