Effects of duration of exposure to wood dust on peak expiratory flow rate among workers in small scale wood industries.

OBJECTIVES Occupational and environmental lung diseases are one of major problems of clinical medicine. Several occupations are associated with adverse health effects, and the lung is one of the parts of the body most vulnerable to airborne hazards. Exposure to gas, fume, and dust can lead to occupational lung diseases. The objective of the study was to assess the effects of wood dust and the duration of exposure on peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and additionally, to minimize possible health risks for wood workers by providing them with information about wood dust related hazards. METHODS The present study was conducted under the supervision of the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the year 2002. It was designed as a matched case-control cross-sectional study of spirometry in forty six non-smoking wood workers, aged 20-60 years, who worked without the benefit of wood dust control ventilation or respiratory protective devices. PEFR measurements were performed using an electronic spirometer. RESULTS The present study results demonstrated that in wood workers exposed for longer periods than 8 years, PEFR was significantly reduced as compared with their matched controls. CONCLUSION Based on the results of the present study, we conclude that PEFR in wood workers is impaired and the stratification of results shows a dose-response effect of years of wood dust exposure on its value.