Pulmonary Function Impairments among Dry Cell Battery Factory Workers

Abstract

Context: Inhalation of the ingredients which are found in a dry cell battery factory can affect the pulmonary function of its workers. Aims: To evaluate the impact of the dry cell battery exposure on the pulmonary function of exposed workers by using spirometric parameters and its correlation with the duration of the exposure. Settings and Design: Cross sectional, randomised study. Methods and Material: A standard questionnaire was followed to note the symptoms like cough, breathlessness, morning cough and chest tightness. In the present study, the pulmonary function status assessment was done by a spirometric method by using Spirovit-SP-10 and Wright’s peak flow meter. Out of the total subjects who were studied (n = 119), 60 were control subjects and 59 were workers who were exposed to the ingredients of a dry cell battery. Statistical Analysis Used: The unpaired t-test was done to determine the significant difference between the battery workers and the control subjects. We also checked whether there was any correlation between the pulmonary function status and the duration of the exposure at work. Results: A few workers reported symptoms of cough, breathlessness, morning cough and chest tightness. The respiratory symptoms were found to be higher in the exposed dry cell battery factory workers (32.75%) as compared to the control subjects (12.65%). A trend of decrement of the lung volumes with an increment in age and the duration of the work exposure was observed. The pulmonary function abnormalities which were found among the male dry cell battery factory workers were of the obstructive (18.5%), restrictive (5.6%) and the mixed (4.5%) types. Conclusions: The respiratory impairments among the dry cell battery workers could have been due to their exposure to the work environment. The longer the duration of the exposure, more was the pulmonary function decline.

Keywords

• dry cell battery
• spirometry
• fev1
• fev1 /fvc