Effects of exposure to flour dust on respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function of mill workers

Objective: To assess the effect of exposure to flour dust on respiratory symptoms and lung function of flour mill workers and to estimate the additive effect of smoking on pulmonary function. Patients and methods: This study was carried out at flour mills in Sohag Governorate. Two hundred male workers with current exposure to flour dust and two hundred non-exposed male as a control group were interviewed and self designed study questionnaire was administered to them and the parameters of their pulmonary function were measured. Results: Respiratory symptoms such as cough, expectoration, wheezing, and shortness of breath, were significantly (p