Harvesting burnt sugarcane is associated with rhinitis symptoms

Abstract

Background: Harvesting burnt sugarcane requires intense physical exertion in an environment with high temperatures, and exposure to air pollutants. Aim: To evaluate the effects of harvesting burnt sugarcane and inflammation with rhinitis symptoms in sugarcane workers. Methods: 32 male sugarcane workers completed a questionnaire for rhinitis symptoms, had anthropometric measurements, and assessment of inflammatory markers (leukocytes blood count and interleukin 6 – IL6), at 7:00AM in the non-harvesting (NHP), and three and six months into the sugarcane harvesting period (HP). Weather data and PM2.5 concentrations were measured in the same day. Results are expressed as mean±SD, median (IQR) or %. Results: Age was 41.6±10.9 years. The prevalences of rhinitis symptoms were 26.7%, 53.4%, and 20.0%, in the NHP, and three and six months into the HP, respectively (p Conclusions: Three months of work in burnt sugarcane harvest (with lowest temperature and highest PM2.5 concentration), eosinophil increase, and neutrophils and IL6 decreases were associated with a higher prevalence of rhinitis symptoms. These results suggest that air pollution and temperature could be a trigger of allergic mechanism for rhinitis symptoms in sugarcane workers.