Respiratory effects among rubberwood furniture factory workers in Thailand

• Main Authors: Salakjit Sriproed, Pramuk Osiri, Dusit Sujirarat, Suttinun Chantanakul, Kitiphong Harncharoen, Parichat Ong-Artborirak, Susan R. Woskie
• Other Authors: Mahidol University
• Format: Article
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Environmental Science; Medicine; Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics
• Online Access: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/31806

Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function were examined among 89 rubberwood furniture factory workers. Acute and chronic irritant symptoms were assessed, lung function was measured both pre- and post-shift and personal inhalable dust exposure determined. The only symptoms with a significant increase among high dust level-exposed workers (>1 mg/m3) were those related to nasal irritation. High dust level-exposed workers had a significant cross-shift decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) compared with low dust level-exposed workers and increases in inhalable dust concentration levels (mg/m3) were significantly associated with decreases in the peak expiratory flow (PEF) across the work shift. For percent predicted pulmonary function levels, a significant decrement in PEF was found for high versus low rubberwood dust level-exposed workers, after controlling for confounders. These findings suggest the need for an occupational standard for rubberwood dust in Thailand. Copyright © 2013 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.