Byssinosis: A Cross-Sectional Study in an Australian Textile Factory

A cross-sectional study was made in an Australian cotton textile plant of the prevalence of byssinosis and chronic respiratory impairment. No significant level of byssinosis was found. There was minimal evidence of chronic respiratory impairment from respirable cotton-dust, and no evidence of a quantitative exposure-response relationship. The relatively low mean dust levels at the time of the study (0.14 mg/m3 to 0.24 mg/m3) may have been partly responsible for these findings.