Pulmonary Function Testing among Employees Exposed to Carbon Black Dust

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Abstract
The respiratory health of 477 carbon black workers was examined by questionnaire, physical examination, spirometry, full-bodyplethysmography, and bronchial challenge testing. This number accounts for a 97 percent rate of response from the target group. The study population included an internal control group of 72 subjects who were not exposed to carbon black dust. On the base of the lung function parameters mean values a significant impact could not be traced to dust exposure. However, smokers and former smokers revealed 1.6 to 2.2 times more obstructive respiratory diseases compared to non-smokers. Smokers exposed to carbon black dust exhibit 1.4 times more obstructive respiratory diseases than smokers who were not exposed to this kind of dust. Among nonsmokers exposed to dust we could not register any overabundance of obstructive respiratory diseases. The tendency of smokers to have more frequent destructive respiratory diseases indicates a synergic effect of smoking and dust exposure. Smoking has the larger importance in this synergic correlation than exposure to dust. There is no elevated prevalence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness among individuals who are exposed to carbon black dust. Further investigations are planned in order to determine the long-term impact of carbon black dust on the respiratory system of exposed employees.