Asthma and other respiratory symptoms in New Zealand pine processing sawmill workers

Background To study respiratory symptoms in pine sawmill workers. Methods A respiratory health questionnaire was administered to 772 pine saw mill workers and the association between symptoms and job-title-based expos ure was studied. Results Asthma in exposed workers (18%, n = 704) was more common than in th e general population (12.1%, n = 592; adjusted OR (95% CI): 1.6 (1.1-2.3)). Asthma was also more common in the low exposure group (15.6%, n = 294) and high exposure groups (high exposure to 'green dust'; 20.4%, n = 212 and hi gh exposure to 'dry dust'; 18.8%, n = 198) than in the non-exposed workers (9.2%, n = 65). Adjusted odds ratios were 1.9 (0.7-4.9), 2.7 (0.9-7.6), and 2.1 (0.8-5.7), respectively. Adjusted odds ratios for symptoms of cough we re 2.7 (1.2-6.5) for the low, 5.2 (2.1-13.0) for the high 'green dust' and 3.3 (1.4-7.9) for the high 'dry dust' exposure groups. Moreover, eye and no se irritations were significantly more prevalent in the high and low exposu re groups. Conclusions Working in pine sawmilling is associated with an increased prev alence of asthma and cough symptoms and eye and nose irritation. Am. J. Ind . Med. 39:608-615, 2001. (C) Wiley-Liss, Inc.