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KMID : 0895420070170020166
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Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Enviromental Hygiene
2007 Volume.17 No. 2 p.166 ~ p.175
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Evaluation of exposure Levels and health status in bakers exposed to flour dust in a big bakery
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Kim Byung-Gyu
Koh Dong-Hee
Ryu Hyang-Woo
Kim Kyoo-Sang
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Abstract
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Flour dust is well known as causing occupational asthma. A case of occupational asthma caused by flour dust broke out in a big-sized bakery in Korea in 2005. The study was carried out to evaluate the exposure level of flour dust and to find out the health status in bakers in the bakery. The sampled product lines were 7 and each line basically has weighing, pouring, mixing, cutting, forming, packing, oven, wrapping. The total and inhalable-sized dust samples were simultaneously obtained in workers directively exposed to flour dust. The exposure levels of total and inhalable dust were ranged in 0.272 ?1.271 ㎎/㎥ (GM) and 0.650 ? 7.206 ㎎/㎥(GM) respectively in the 7 sampled lines. The ratio of inhalable and total flour dust is approximately 3.39 resulted from linear regression analysis. The positive rates in skin prick test were 16.61% and 7.69% respectively, and the positive rates in serum specific IgE test were 16.45% and 16.88% respectively in male and female group directively exposed to flour dust. The total sensitized rate in both tests was 25%. According to PFT, methacholine bronchial hyperresponsiveness and specific challenge test, maximum prevalence of occupational asthma caused by flour dust was approximately 2%. The results indicated that the exposure levels of flour dust have exceeded 0.5 ㎎/㎥ as inhalable dust and could have sensitized workers exposed to flour dust. The improvement of working environment and the execution of periodic medical examination were needed to reduce the exposure level of flour dust and to find abnormal health conditions in the bakery.
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KEYWORD
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Occupational asthma, flour dust, inhalable dust, exposure Level, health status
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