Abstract The objective of this study was to assess the respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function of four types of workers in a paper recycling plant in central Taiwan. A total of 321 workers were included in the study. All workers’ respiratory symptoms were evaluated using the American Thoracic Society (ATS) questionnaire, and pulmonary function was also assessed using a dry spirometer, based on the ATS criteria. The same trained assistant performed all measurements. The results showed that the workers’ exposure to paper dust was very low. Levels of fine particles were highest in the paper machine area, and coarse particle concentration was highest in the pulping process area. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we found that administrative workers had the highest risk of developing respiratory symptoms, compared to the other job types. Smoking level (packs/year) and work duration were dose-dependently related to risk of respiratory symptoms. However, the latter association was non-significant. The predicted FVC values found in a review of the literature were generally 20% higher than those found in the current study. The prevalence rates of pulmonary abnormalities were highest among administrative workers compared to the other job types, and were related to work duration dose-dependently, although these associations were not significant. In conclusion, a large proportion of workers had respiratory symptoms despite the relatively low paper dust levels. This may be attributed to lifestyle habits in the workplace, such as smoking. The authors recommend, therefore, that paper recycling plants be made smoke-free workplaces. Keywords: Respiratory Symptoms, pulmonary function, paper recycling workers
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17th International Symposium on Epidemiology in Occupational Heal
