Professional paper
Respiratory findings in workers not exposed to air pollution at the workplace
Eugenija Žuškin
; Škola narodnog zdravlja »Andrija Štampar« Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Jadranka Mustajbegović
; Škola narodnog zdravlja »Andrija Štampar« Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Josipa Kern
; Škola narodnog zdravlja »Andrija Štampar« Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb
Viktorija Bradić
; Croatia osiguranje d.d., Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
The prevalence of acute and chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases as well as ventilatory capacity were studied in 606 workers without occupational exposure to air pollutants. The established prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was similar to that found in the general population. It was also higher in smokers than in non-smokers. Relatively a very small number of workers (only smokers) complained of acute symptoms during work shift. The measured ventilatory capacity values were not significantly different from the predicted values. There was a significant increase in all ventilatory capacity values during work shift (FVC, FEV1, FEF50, FEF25) which vahed from +1.9 to 9.8% of the preshift values. In older workers (>40 years of age) as well as in those with longer exposure (>10 years) acute changes of ventilatory capacity during work shift were similar to those in younger workers (<40 years) and those with shorter employment (<10 years). Smoking habit appears to be the major factor responsible for the development of lung impairment in workers not exposed to atmospheric pollution.
Keywords
respiratory symptoms; ventilatory capacity
Hrčak ID:
145233
URI
Publication date:
16.4.1996.
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