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Indoor and Built Environment
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Respiratory Problems in Tannery Workers in Istanbul

Halim Issever

Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Istanbul,Turkey

Kürsat Özdilli

Haliç University, Health Institute, Istanbul,Turkey

Bedia Ayhan Özyildirim

Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Istanbul,Turkey

Bilge Hapçioglu

Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Istanbul,Turkey

Nurhan ince

Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Istanbul,Turkey

Haluk ince

Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, Istanbul,Turkey

Erol Isik

Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Istanbul,Turkey

Erdem Akçay

Samatya State Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, Istanbul,Turkey

Yildiz Yegenoglu

Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Istanbul,Turkey

Mustafa Erelel

Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, Istanbul,Turkey

Berrin Çalak

Beykoz State Hospital, Department of Emergency, Istanbul,Turkey

Nihal Agbas

Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,Trabzon,Turkey

Tannery workers are exposed to many chemical and physical hazards. The current study involved 730 workers from 23 leather factories located in the Tuzla Organized Industry Region, Istanbul. Participants were interviewed and underwent clinical examination. After the basic physical examination, respiratory functions were measured by spirometer and the workers questioned about asthma. Health problems included gastrointestinal complaints (7.30%), bronchitis (3.11%) and asthma (3.0%). Signs of bronchial obstruction — wheeze and rhonchus — were detected in 71 (9.72%) workers. A deficit in the values of FVC%, FEV 1%, FEV1/FVC%, PEF%, FEF25— 75% was set nominally at 80% of the respiratory function test parameters. Decreased pulmonary function results were found for FVC% in 36 (4.93%) workers, FEV1 in 71 (9.72%), FEV1/FVC in 18 (2.59%), PEF in 183 (25.1%) and FEF25—75% in 204 (27.94%). The number of those with respiratory obstruction detected by spirometry was 294 cases (40.27%), more than the number of cases, 263 (36.02%), who claimed res- piratory problems in the questionnaire. This study was a contribution towards efforts to improve the factory envi- ronment and control workplace risks. Together with med- ical examinations before and during employment and provision of continuous health services and training will reduce the risk of occupational disease to a minimum. Introduction Leather production is one of the world's oldest trades, consisting of a chemical process that turns animal hides into the much less perishable material, leather. As part of this process, after the removal of the epidermis and subcu- taneous tissue, the dermal collagen fibres are stabilized by means of chemical treatment known generically as tanning [1]. Employees who work in tanneries are liable to be affected by their exposure to lots of hazardous materials and processes during tanning. These hazards can be grouped into four categories: biological, physical and chemical hazards and work accidents.

Key Words: Tannery workers • Tannin g • Leathe r • Chromium compounds • Solvent exposure

Indoor and Built Environment, Vol. 16, No. 2, 177-183 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1420326X06076670
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