background: workers in cotton industry are occupationally exposed to various dust-related hazards. the nature of these agents and the respective exposure levels depend on the cotton industry specific sector. these exposures could be associated with respiratory symptoms and changes in lung function parameters. objective: to evaluate associations between occupational exposure and respiratory func...

An epidemiological survey of 414 English and 980 Dutch male cotton workers was undertaken to determine the prevalence of byssinosis and respiratory symptoms, and to compare the ventilatory capacities in the two populations, with particular reference to the influence of air pollution. The English workers were employed in six mills in Lancashire and the Dutch workers in three mills in Almelo spin...

OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to document the prevalence of work related upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms in workers exposed to organic dusts and to identify variables predictive of their occurrence. METHODS A cross sectional survey with an administered questionnaire (a previously validated adaptation of the Medical Research Council (MRC) respiratory questionnaire) was perf...

Byssinosis, a lung disease that can affect cotton mill workers, may be caused in part by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Gram negative bacteria. In vitro, LPS complexes with sheep lung surfactant (SLS). To determine whether LPS in extracts of cotton dust alters the biophysical characteristics of lung surfactant, aqueous extracts (1.0% w:v) of sterile surgical cotton (SSC) and a bulk raw cotton d...

A group of women with byssinosis of grades 2 and 3 were seen consecutively over three years in an occupational outpatient clinic. Detailed lung function tests were performed and the results for smokers and non-smokers compared. One hundred and fifty three patients were seen and 50 of these were life time non-smokers, 35 smoked one to nine cigarettes a day, and 68 smoked 10 or more cigarettes a ...