Kapok is a cotton-like fibre obtained from the fruits of Ceiba pentandra, a tree surgeon in tropical countries. In Sri Lanka ginning of kapok is usually done by machine in poorly ventilated buildings where workers are exposed to a great deal of dust. Forty-one workers in five ginneries in Colombo were examined. Mill fever occurred in 28 (77-8%) of the 36 workers who were able to give a history....

Dust generated during the handling and processing of cotton causes ill health of ginning workers. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among cotton-ginning workers. This study involved 188 workers of 10 cotton-ginning factories. Forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) declined signific...

CHEST, 79: 4, APRIL, 1981 SUPPLEMENT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BYSSINOSIS 115 6 Schilling RSF, Goodman N. Cardiovascular disease in cotton workers: Part I. Br J Industr Med 1951; 8:77-90 7 Henderson VL, Enterline PR. An unusual mortality experience in cotton textile workers. J Occupat Med 1973; 15:717-19 8 Daum S. et al. Mortality patterns among textile workers. In: Cotton dust, proceedings o...

The textile industry sector occupies a prominent place in the economy of Benin. It exposes workers to several occupational risks, including exposure to cotton dust. To assess the effect of exposure to cotton dust on the health of workers, this study was initiated and conducted in a Beninese cotton industry company. The objective of the study was to evaluate the respiratory disorders among the t...

One hundred and sixty two people working in various departments of cotton spinning and weaving mills measured and recorded their own peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) at two hourly intervals during Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the same work week, from waking in the morning throughout the day until going to bed and a last time the following morning after waking. The circadian rhythm in PEFR...

Processing of coir, which is the fibre obtained from the husk of the coconut, is a dusty procedure; 779 workers in two coir processing factories in Sri Lanka were examined clincally and radiographically for evidence of respiratory disease. Respiratory symptoms were present in 20 (2-6%) of them, which is no higher than in the general population. Respiratory disease such as asthma, chronic bronch...