RESPIRATORY HEALTH STUDY OF BRICK INDUSTRY WORKERS, SURVEY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Introduction: Brick production is a widely distributed industry ensure the main material demanded for the up growing urbanization. Type of used fuel beside silica exposure represents two occupational risk fangs at and around work site. Aim of Work: To study the respiratory affection and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) among brick industry workers and to assess silica and dust levels in different exposure areas Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study included 350 workers at brick factories in Arab Abo Saeed region, Egypt. Full medical and occupational histories were taken, and clinical examination was done with special emphasis to the respiratory system. Pulmonary function tests were held which included (FV C , FEV 1 , FEV 1 /FV C , MEF 25 , MEF 50 , MEF 75 and PEF). Dust samples were collected from the work sites at the breathing zone using a personal sampling pump and a size-selective cyclone; environmental assessment of samples was done using X ray powder diffraction method. Results: The most prevalent manifestation among workers was shortness of breath (28.6%). Testing pulmonary functions of workers revealed restrictive pattern (guided with FVC<80%) in 44.7% of workers while obstructive pattern was found only in 14.9% of workers. Both respirable silica and respirable dust exposure levels exceeded the current national and international permissible limits. Conclusion and Recommendations: Working in brick industry represent a threat to the workers respiratory health. Even after shifting to natural gas as cleaner fuel, high levels of respirable silica and dust in the workplace which may be responsible for the negative impact on pulmonary functions. Special attention and more strict control measures should be followed not only to damp silica and dust particles exposure but also to .