A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PULMONARY FUNCTIONS TESTS AND DUST IN STONE CRUSHING INDUSTRIES WORKERS IN PESHAWAR

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of exposure to silica dust on pulmonary functions and to determine the factors associated with abnormal lung functions tests.
Material and Methods:This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in six months time in 176 male workers of stone crushing industries in the suburbs of Peshawar. Participants were selected through convenient sampling. Workers who had worked at the site for two years or more were included in the study while those workers who had worked for less than two years, who did not give consent and those who were not cooperative or who were absent on the day of the study, were excluded from the study. They were first interviewed on the questionnaire and then Pulmonary Functions Tests (PFT) were performed by a spirometer. Data were analyzed through SPSS software version 16.0.
Results:Out of the total of 176 participants the PFT results of 127 (72.2 %) participants were healthy. Abnormal results were found in 49 (27.8 %) partici pants. Spirometry results of 41 (23.3 %) participants showed a restrictive pattern and 8 (4.5 %) obstructive. A strong relationship was found between the duration and intensity of exposure and PFTs results (p-value < 0.001). Those who were working for 8 hours or more per day and those who were working for 10 or more than ten years were having more deranged
PFTs. Similarly, PFTs were more deranged in those participants who smoked heavily (p-value < 0.016).
Conclusion:Silicosis being a significant public health problem and mainly remains a submerged portion of the iceberg is caused by prolonged exposure to crystalline silica. The working community of this occupation is poor class, illiterate and less aware and sensitive about their health, which makes the situation worse.