WORK-RELATED SYMPTOMS, SENSITIZATION, AND ESTIMATED EXPOSURE IN WORKERS NOT PREVIOUSLY EXPOSED TO FLOUR

Findings are presented from the initial cross sectional phase of a coh ort study of employees exposed to flour in bakeries or mills. Of 401 e ligible workers in seven sites 344 (86%) were surveyed; symptoms asses sed by self completed questionnaire, and sensitisation measured by the response to skin prick tests, were related to intensity of exposure b oth to total dust and to flour aeroallergen. Among 264 subjects withou t previous occupational exposure to flour, work related symptoms which started after first employment at the site were related to exposure i ntensity, especially when exposure was expressed in terms of flour aer oallergen. The relations with eye/nose and skin symptoms were independ ent of atopic status and cigarette smoking. Positive skin test respons es to mixed flour and to a amylase were also more frequent with increa sing exposure intensity, although this was confounded by atopic status . There was only a weak association between symptoms and specific sens itisation.