Studies of Respiratory Morbidity in Rubber Workers

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Abstract
Respiratory questionnaires and pulmonary function tests were administered to sixty-five men exposed to dust in the processing area from three rubber tire manufacturing plants. Similar tests were done on 189 “control” workers. Compared with the controls, the processing workers had a higher prevalence of chronic productive cough. Overall, the processing group showed a decrease in the ratio of FEV 1.0 to FVC. The processing workers with more than ten years of exposure showed a significant decrease in the ratio of FEV 1.0/FVC. the FEV 1.0, the residual FEV and the flow fates at 50% and 25% of the forced vital capacity. None of the pulmonary function effects could be solely explained on the basis of smoking, age, ethnic, or socioeconomic factors: all were related to the length of exposure. Based on these results we conclude that exposure in the processing area produces pulmonary disease.

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