The prevalence of byssinosis and of chronic bronchitis was studied in a questionnaire investigation among workers in bale opening areas, carding rooms, and spinning rooms in five Swedish cotton mills. Airborne dust and Gram-negative bacteria was measured. Nineteen per cent of the interviewed workers reported symptoms of light byssinosis (grade 1/2). The prevalence of symptoms was not related to...

One hundred and sixty-nine and 175 cotton textile workers (CTWs) were enrolled in the first (1991) and second (1996) surveys to investigate the prevalence of byssinosis. The synergistic effect of smoking on cotton dust exposure was also evaluated. Although the difference in prevalence of abnormal pulmonary function between the first (38.5%) and second study (38.9%) was not statistically signifi...

The association between the prevalence of both byssinosis and chronic bronchitis and the level of airborne dust was examined in workers in preparing departments in flax mills in Northern Ireland. A weak association between the dust level and byssinosis was found but not between the dust level and chronic bronchitis. It is suggested that the disparity of these associations may have arisen becaus...

BACKGROUND In India, 20 million workers are involved in the manufacturing of textiles. However, there are few epidemiological studies from India that have assessed the magnitude or the risk factors associated with byssinosis. In Pondicherry, textile mills have been in existence for over a century. This case-control study aimed to find the factors associated with the development of byssinosis in...

The prevalence of byssinosis in a sample of cotton ginnery workers in Greece was investigated. The respiratory symptoms, F.E.V.1.0, and V.C. of 70 male ginnery workers were recorded. No case of clinical byssinosis was found, but a statistically significant relationship exists between years of exposure to cotton dust and impairment of lung function. On the contrary no significant relationship ex...

A total of 2528 workers in flax mills in Northern Ireland were followed up for 16 years. Follow-up was 97% complete. Deaths were identified and date and cause ascertained. Expected deaths were calculated on the basis of age and sex specific rates for Northern Ireland. Both male and female workers had fewer deaths than expected, and mortality showed no clear relationship with type of work. There...

Frequency of byssinosis in 276 workers from 5 ginning factories of rural Sindh are described. Twenty-four (9%) had byssinosis, 178 were asymptomatic and the remaining 74 had other respiratory symptoms. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was present both in symptomatic and asymptomatic workers and was equally distributed amongst smokers and non-smokers. A possible involvement of some factors ...

Byssinosis as a nonspecific chronic respiratory disease in textile workers exposed to cotton, flax, jute, hemp and sisal is described. Opinions about aetiopathogenesis are presented. The following chapters are focused on clinical symptoms and functional lung changes. Classification of the disease is described afterwards. Finally, the necessity of medical and technical measures to prevent the de...