SANITARY AND HYGIENIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIR ENVIRONMENT AT FLAX PLANTS

Abstract

Data on the state of the air environment at flax plants for a long period are given. It is noted that in studies conducted in the 30–70s of the last century, the main harmful production factor in the working rooms of flax mills is dust. However, dust is only one of the indicators of the sanitary and hygienic characte-ristics of the air environment of flax plants. Since the level of combine harvesting of flax reached 90 % by 1979 and the quality of flax products deteriorated, there was a need for comprehensive studies of the sanita- ry and hygienic characteristics of the air environment at flax plants. Such studies were carried out at four Belarusian flax mills (Dzerzhinsky, Volozhinsky, Slonimsky, Nesvizhsky) in 1980–1981. Comprehensive stu- dies provided for the assessment of the state of the air environment in the working rooms according to the following indicators: temperature and humidity conditions, air mobility, dustiness, the presence of microor- ganisms, the presence of odors. Since these studies were conducted after the almost complete transition to combine harvesting of flax, they may be of considerable interest for comparing the indicators with the data available at modern flax mills equipped with other technological equipment. In subsequent years, such com- prehensive studies were not carried out at flax mills using raw materials after combine harvesting.