Abstract
BackgroundOccupational studies of associations of exposures with impaired lung function in mining settings are built on exposure assessment and far less often on workplace approach, so the aim of this study was to identify vulnerable occupational groups for early lung function reduction in a cohort of healthy young miners.MethodsData from annual screening lung function tests in gold mining company in Kyrgyzstan were linked to occupations. We compared per cent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC between occupational groups and tested selected occupations in multivariate regression adjusted for smoking and work duration for the following outcomes: FEV1 < 80 %, FEV1/FVC < 70 % and both.Results1550 tests of permanent workers of 41 occupations (mean age 40.5 ± 9.2 years, 29.8 % never smokers) were included in the analysis. The mean overall VC was 103.0 ± 12.9 %; FVC 109.1 ± 13.0 % and FEV1 100.2 ± 25.9 %. Drillers and smoking food handlers had the lowest FEV1%. In non-smokers, the lowest FEV1 was in drillers (94.9 ± 11.3 % compared to 115.2 ± 17.7 % in engineers). Drillers (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.53 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.11-2.09)) and mill operators (OR 2.01 (1.13-3.57)) were at greater risk of obstructive ventilation pattern (FEV1/FVC < 70 %).ConclusionsDrilling and mill operations are the highest risk jobs in an open-pit mine for reduced lung function. Occupational medical clinic at site should follow-up workers in these occupations with depth and strongly recommend smoking cessation.
Highlights
Occupational studies of associations of exposures with impaired lung function in mining settings are built on exposure assessment and far less often on workplace approach, so the aim of this study was to identify vulnerable occupational groups for early lung function reduction in a cohort of healthy young miners
Occupational exposures are linked to a number of respiratory conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and population studies identified those exposures to account for 10-15 % of the burden of COPD [1,2,3]
The aim of this study was to identify vulnerable groups for early lung function reduction in a cohort of healthy young miners employed for gold mining operation, where industrial hygiene data do not exist
Summary
Occupational studies of associations of exposures with impaired lung function in mining settings are built on exposure assessment and far less often on workplace approach, so the aim of this study was to identify vulnerable occupational groups for early lung function reduction in a cohort of healthy young miners. Spirometry has been shown to identify early lung function changes in those exposed to mineral dust [7], identifying vulnerable groups at mining site in the absence of industrial hygiene data is still challenging. The aim of this study was to identify vulnerable groups for early lung function reduction in a cohort of healthy young miners employed for gold mining operation, where industrial hygiene data do not exist
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