2010/09/05 by M. Athanasiou, Maria Athanasiou, G. Makrynos +2 · 1 citation
Environmental Science · Medicine · #Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure #Occupational and environmental lung diseases #Occupational exposure and asthma
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/occmed/kqq127
openalex publication_date 2010/09/05 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
BACKGROUND: There is an increasing evidence that the incidence of work-related pulmonary problems is greater in waste collectors than in the general workforce. AIMS: To evaluate the respiratory health of municipal solid waste workers (MSWWs). METHODS: One hundred and eighty-four municipal employees of Keratsini (104 MSWWs and 80 controls) participated in a cross-sectional study. All participants were asked to fill in a slightly modified version of the Medical Research Council questionnaire. Lung function was evaluated by spirometry. RESULTS: Spirometry revealed reduced mean forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (as a percentage of predicted values) in MSWWs compared with controls. After adjustment for smoking status, only the decline in FVC was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Prevalence of all respiratory symptoms was higher in MSWWs than in controls. After adjustment for confounding factors, the difference reached statistical significance (P < 0.05) for morning cough, cough on exertion and sore throat. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this cross-sectional study indicate a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms and a greater decrease in lung function in MSWWs. A number of limitations such as the relatively small size of population and the 'healthy worker' effect should be taken into account.