Pulmonary Function and Health Risk Assessment of Inhalation Exposure to Respirable Dust among Community Rice Mill Workers in Mahasarakham Province, Thailand
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Abstract
The purposes of this research were: to determine the prevalence of abnormal lung function and assess the health risks associated with inhalation exposure to particulate matter in a sample of workers working in a community rice mill. This research was conducted with ninety-three participants who worked in community rice mill. Questionnaires were used to collect personal data, measure pulmonary function test using spirometry, and measure particulate matter concentrations from inhalation exposure using air sampling pump, also assess health risks from April to August 2022. The results showed that the inhalation exposure to fine dust of workers in a community rice mill found that the average exposure to fine dust throughout the 8-hour working period was 0.350 ± 0.138, with all exposures not exceeding the standard of OSHA, defined as 5 mg/m3, and ACGIH, defined as 3 mg/m3. All subjects were exposed to hazardous levels. 74.2% were at moderate risk, followed by 22.5% at a high level and 3.3% at a low level. Community rice found that 31.2 percent of the samples had abnormal pulmonary function working days per week. Work experience and risk level from inhalation of particulate matter exposure were statistically significantly related to impaired lung function (p-value < 0.05).
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