Short communication, Note
Aerosol analysis, respiratory function and skin sensitivity testing in workers exposed to soft and hardwood dust
D. Beritić-Stahuljak
; »Andrija Stampar« School of Public Health, Medical Scbool, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
F. Valić
; »Andrija Stampar« School of Public Health, Medical Scbool, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
M. Cigula
; »Andrija Stampar« School of Public Health, Medical Scbool, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
D. Ivanković
; »Andrija Stampar« School of Public Health, Medical Scbool, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
A. Prijatelj
; Health Centre, Nova Gorica, Croatia
Abstract
Ventilatory lung capacity (FVC, FEV1, MEF50 and MEF75) was measured before and after work shift in three groups of workers (356 in total) exposed to softwood (poplar, pine, mixed softwood, resp.) and in three groups (42 in total) exposed to hardwood dust (iroko, mahogany, okoume, resp.). The difference in levels of exposure to different types of wood dust was considerable; it was more expressed for total than for respirable particles.
Significant falls over work shift of all the ventilatory capacity measures except FVC were found in exposure to all softwoods. In hardwood dust exposure no acute effect was found on FEV1 or FVC; significant decrease over shift was observed of MEF50 and MEF75 in mahogany exposure and of MEF75 in iroko exposure. The magnitude of acute falls was not wood type specific, but depended on exposure level irrespective of the type of wood.
No convincing evidence was found of chronic effects of the exposure to either soft or hardwood dust on ventilatory lung capacity.
Low frequencies of skin reaction to allergens prepared from the extracts of the dusts studied were observed.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
152588
URI
Publication date:
15.6.1989.
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