Respiratory symptoms in Lancashire textile we avers

Objectives-To investigate a large population of cotton textile weavers for reported respiratory symptoms relative to occupational factors, smoking, an d exposure to dust. Cotton processing is known to produce a respiratory dis ease known as byssinosis particularly in the early processes of cotton spin ning. Relatively little is known about the respiratory health of the cotton weavers who produce cloth from spun cotton. By the time cotton is woven ma ny of the original contaminants have been removed. Methods-1295 operatives from a target population of 1428 were given an inte rviewer led respiratory questionnaire. The presence of upper and lower resp iratory tract symptoms were sought and the work relatedness of these sympto ms determined by a stem questionnaire design. Also occupational and demogra phic details were obtained and spirometry and personal dust sampling perfor med. Results-Byssinosis was present in only four people (0.3%). Chronic bronchit is had a moderate overall prevalence of about 6% and was related predominan tly to smoking. There were several other work related respiratory symptoms (persistent cough 3.9%, chronic production of phlegm 3.6%, chest tightness 4.8%, wheezing 5.4%, and breathlessness 2.3%). All of these were predicted predominantly by smoking (either past or present), with no consistent indep endent effect of exposure to dust. Work related eye and nasal symptoms were more common (10.4% and 16.9% respectively). Conclusion-Byssinosis is a rare respiratory symptom in cotton weaving. Othe r work related respiratory symptoms were reported but their presence was pr edominantly related to smoking with no consistent effects of exposure to du st.