Respiratory symptoms and skin disorders in sewage workers

Abstract

This paper reports on the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, skin disorders, status of spirometric lung functions, and amino acid profiles among sewage workers. The data showed that sewage workers had a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms than manual workers, being significantly greater for chronic cough (p<0.02), chronic phlegm (p<0.03), chronic bronchitis (p<0.02), asthma (p<0.02), dyspneoa (p<0.001), and nasal catarrh (p<0.001). Also, a higher prevalence of all acute symptoms of pruritus (p<0.003), tinea (p<0.004), dermatitis (p<0.001), and nose irritation (p<0.005) was recorded among sewage workers than in manual workers (non-sewage workers). Furthermore, all forced spirometric tests in the exposed sewage workers tended to be lower than in manual workers. Finally, the results revealed that the most plasma amino acid concentrations were higher among sewage workers than those among manual workers. Pill essential amino acids except two (valine and arginine) were significantly higher among the savage workers than those among the manual workers. The present study suggests that a high prevalence of respiratory symptoms is associated with an exposure to sewage as a working place.