Abstract Rationale Exposure to flour dust in the workplace can lead to ill health in workers and ultimately decreased productivity. This study aimed to investigate exposure levels to flour dust, respiratory effects, and control measures among bakery workers in the Edo Central senatorial district of Edo State, Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional study involving 118 bakery workers from 10 bakeries. An interviewer administered questionnaires, and spirometry was used to collect the data. Dust monitoring was conducted at both the study and comparison sites using a portable dust meter. A walkthrough and an observational checklist were used to assess the availability of control measures. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics and Research Committee of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Results Particulate mass concentration was higher in the study than in the control groups, with PM10 of 0.5mg/m3 in the study sites and 0.18mg/m3 at the control sites, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.016) (t = 2.908). The mean value of PM10 (0.74mg/m3) was particularly higher at the mixing points in the bakeries than at baking and dough preparation sites, and this was statistically significant (P = 0.009) (F = 6.012). The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was higher in the study group, with a running nose and sneezing (40.7%), cough (31.4%), sputum (26.3%), chest tightness (22.9%), breathlessness (16.1%), wheeze (5.1%), and asthma (5.1%). In the control group, the prevalence of respiratory symptoms ranged between 0.8% and 5.1%. The difference in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms between the study and control groups was statistically significant. (P 0.0001). Mean pulmonary function values were significantly lower in the study group for per cent predicted FEV1 = 73.08 ± 13.94 (P = 0.000) and per cent predicted FVC = 79.25 ± 9.70 (P = 0.000) compared to controls, per cent predicted FEV1 = 82.54 ± 10.99 and per cent predicted FVC = 87.60 ± 8.41. An obstructive pattern of lung function was exclusively found in the bakery workers (14.4%), while none of the control group had an obstructive pattern. Conclusion This study revealed a higher exposure to particulate flour dust and a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms, as well as reduced spirometry parameters, among bakery workers. This abstract is funded by: “None”
Alenoghena et al. (Fri,) studied this question.