Peak Expiratory Flow Rate, Blood Oxygen Saturation, and Pulse Rate among the Mine Tailing Community

Chronic inhalation of dust impairs lung function and may cause respiratory symptoms. Very little attention has been paid to the health of community exposed to dust raised by mine tailing which is deposited for many years without precautionary measures. Therefore, a study of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), oxygen saturation (SPO₂), and their control groups in Kolar Gold Fields and Kolar was carried out.

Ventilatory function tests were done using 400 exposed community participants with the unexposed of same from Kolar who stayed in the mine tailing town for >3 years and aged 18-60 years. Their weight and height were taken and matched with controls who were not exposed to any known air pollutant. The percentage of SPO₂ of both the participants and their control population was determined using a pulse oximeter.

Respirable dust level in the test sites was 1.492 ± 0.336 mg/m³ and it was significant with the control sites, which was 0.531 ± 0.783 mg/m³ with P < 0.05. There was highly significant difference in the mean values of SPO₂, pulse rate, and PEFR between the test and control participants with P < 0.001.

There is an increase in air pollution by increase in particulate matter <2.5 in the gold mining township, and the residents here had decreased PEFR, decreased SPO₂, and increased pulse rate. This proves that the mine tailing community people without precautionary measures may predispose to respiratory symptoms.