Occupational and environmental medicine
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This survey was conducted to investigate current lung function levels in operatives working with cotton and man made fibres. Dust concentrations, smoking history, and occupational details were recorded so that factors influencing lung function could be identified. ⋯ This study has documented loss of lung function in association with exposure to cotton dust. Those operatives with work related symptoms had significantly lower FEV1 and FVC than asymptomatic workers. Although lung function seemed to be affected by high dust exposures when operatives were stratified into high and low exposure groups, regression analysis did not identify current dust concentrations as an independent factor influencing loss. Smoking habit was found to explain most of the measured change in FEV1 and FVC. It is likely that smoking and dust exposure interact to cause loss of lung function in cotton textile workers.