Ventilatory and diffusion studies in smoker and non smoker flour-mill workers

Various pulmonary function tests, FVC, FEV1/FVC%, PEFR, EFR25-75, MVV and Tlco were measured in 25 asymptomatic male flour mill workers and 50 healthy subjects not working at flour mill, to assess the effect of flour dust on lungs. All the subjects of different groups were well matched in their anthropometeric parameters and socio economic status. In smoker flour mill workers significant reduction was present in both ventilatory and diffusion functions of lungs, which was more pronounced in subjects who consumed larger quantity of tobacco and were exposed to flour dust for longer duration. On the other hand deterioration of pulmonary functions in non smoker flour mill workers was found to be statistically not significant. The relative strength of both the parameters viz tobacco and flour dust for impairment of pulmonary functions is discussed for being a pointer to further studies.