Respiratory Abnormalities among Occupationally Exposed, Non-Smoking Brick Kiln Workers from Punjab,India

BACKGROUND: Brick manufacturing industry is one of the oldest and fast-growing industries in India that employs a large section of people. Brick kiln workers are occupationally exposed to air pollutants. Nonetheless, only a few studies have so far been conducted on their respiratory health. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the extent of respiratory impairment in brick kiln workers and to correlate it with the duration of exposure. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Spirometric parameters of 110 non-smoking male brick kiln workers aged 18-35 years in Patiala district, Punjab, India, were compared with an age-matched comparison group of 90 unexposed individuals. RESULTS: (2.19 L/s) and PEFR (4.81 L/s) were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those recorded in workers with <8 years of exposure in whom the values were 2.01 L, 2.68 L, 2.71 L/s, and 5.76 L/s, respectively. CONCLUSION: There is a significant association between exposure to workplace pollutants and lung function deterioration among brick kiln workers.