Cotton and Other Textile Dusts

Abstract

AbstractThe production of cotton products is commercially important to developed and developing countries alike. Processing of flax and hemp remains regionally important industries, which continue to provide traditional textile products. It has been reported that millions of workers are occupationally exposed to these vegetable dusts worldwide. It is now clear that symptoms typical of byssinosis in the textile industry are observed among those occupationally exposed to vegetable dust arising from the processing of cotton, flax, hemp, and other textile fibers. Several investigations have provided a good understanding regarding the epidemiology of byssinosis. It has been observed that exposure to textile vegetable dusts lead to increase prevalence of nonspecific airway symptoms, modest cross‐shift declines in spirometry, and progressive declines in lung function that may result in significant lung impairment. Linear dose‐response relationships have been observed between byssinosis prevalence, cross‐shift declines in FEV1, and concentration of inhalable cotton dust and endotoxin. These findings have led to regulation of cotton dust in the United States and in several other countries.