Ventilatory impairment from pre-harvest retted flax

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Occupational Health
• Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

• Flax cultivation is re-emerging in the UK due to new climate-suited retting methods.
• Pre-harvest glyphosate application is part of the new flax retting process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the acute bronchoconstrictor effects of dust from dew-retted versus pre-harvest retted flax.
• To assess the impact of different flax retting methods on respiratory function and symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind crossover study involving 11 healthy subjects.
• Inhalation of dust from dew-retted and pre-harvest retted flax in a controlled dust room.
• Measurement of pulmonary function (FEV1, MEF50, sGaw) and subject-reported symptoms over six hours.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in dust levels or particle size were found between the two flax types.
• Pre-harvest retted flax dust caused significantly larger decreases in pulmonary function (FEV1, MEF50, sGaw).
• Subjects reported more symptoms following inhalation of pre-harvest retted flax dust.

Conclusions:

• Pre-harvest retting of flax increases the acute bronchoconstrictor response to flax dust.
• This suggests an elevated risk of byssinosis among workers exposed to dust from pre-harvest retted flax.
• Further investigation into occupational health risks associated with modern flax farming practices is warranted.