Abstract
The study aimed to investigate factors associated with respiratory symptoms in workers in a medium-density fiberboard (MDF) furniture factory in Eastern Thailand. Data were collected from 439 employees exposed to formaldehyde and MDF dust using questionnaire and personal sampler (Institute of Occupational Medicine; IOM). The average concentration of formaldehyde from MDF dust was 2.62 ppm (SD 367), whereas the average concentration of MDF dust itself was 7.67 mg/m3 (SD 3.63). Atopic allergic history was a factor associated with respiratory irritation symptoms and allergic symptoms among the workers exposed to formaldehyde and were associated with respiratory irritation symptoms and allergic symptoms among those exposed to MDF dust. Exposure to MDF dust at high level (>5 mg/m3) was associated with respiratory irritation symptoms and allergic symptoms. Excluding allergic workers from the study population produced the same kind of results in the analysis as in all workers. The symptoms were associated with the high concentrations of formaldehyde and MDF dust in this factory. If the concentration of MDF dust was >5 mg/m3, the risk of irritation and allergic symptoms in the respiratory system increased. The respiratory health of the employees with atopic allergic history exposed to formaldehyde and MDF dust should be monitored closely.
Highlights
Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is composed of the residues of wood production, such as hardwood sawdust and softwood sawdust (85–100%) mixed with wax, resin, or glue [1, 2] and combined with 8– 18% urea–formaldehyde resin [3]
The employees exposed to formaldehyde at a highest level of concentration (>6.89 ppm) had cough during the day and night, and 18.2% had cough in the morning when they woke up; 35.8% of those who were exposed to MDF dust at a concentration >6.37 mg/m3 had cough during the day and night, and 22.1% had cough in the morning when they woke up
We found that the formaldehyde concentration in all departments had an average level of 2.62 ppm (SD 3.67), which was higher than the permissible exposure limits (PELs) of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (0.75 ppm) [20]
Summary
Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is composed of the residues of wood production, such as hardwood sawdust (equivalent to 0–15%) and softwood sawdust (85–100%) mixed with wax, resin, or glue [1, 2] and combined with 8– 18% urea–formaldehyde resin [3]. The board is heatpressurized to form shapes. It is known as particle board [4]. The MDF furniture making process included tasks such as cutting, sawing, drilling holes, polishing, and gluing. Workers are at-risk of exposure to MDF dust and formaldehyde released from the work process and the storage of raw materials and the finished products. Formaldehyde has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Group 1 human carcinogen [5, 6]
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