RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND VENTILATORY FUNCTION IN CONFECTIONERY WORKERS

Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory capacity were studied in a group of 288 workers (259 women and 29 men) employed in a confectionery plan t. A group of workers (96 women and 31 men) not exposed to confectione ry manufacture were also studied as controls. The prevalence of chroni c respiratory symptoms was higher in exposed than in control workers, being greatest for confectionery workers exposed to the dust of flour, talc, and starch and the vapours of alcohol. Chronic bronchitis was r eported by 7% of the women and 21% of the men, and chest tightness was reported by 27% of women and 66% of men. There was a high prevalence of acute irritative symptoms during the workshift in all groups of con fectionery workers, especially for cough, dyspnoea, burning and drynes s of the throat, and eye irritation. For all groups of confectionery w orkers there were statistically significant across shift reductions in ventilatory capacity, being most pronounced for maximum flow rate at 50% of the control vital capacity (FEF(50); range 4.6-13.0%) and at 25 % of the control vital capacity (FEF(25); range 4.7-22.3%). Preshift v alues of FEF(50) and FEF(25) were significantly lower than predicted v alues. The data suggest that some workers employed in confectionery pl ants may develop acute and chronic respiratory symptoms associated wit h changes in lung function.