Comparison of the Respiratory Health Effects of Traditional and Mechanical Brick Factories on the Workers Exposed to Dust

Background: Brick manufacturing produces dust, occupationally exposing workers to hazardous substances (e.g., silica dust). Iran is a ceramic exporter. Few studies have assessed the exposure of workers to silica dust. This study investigated occupational exposure to crystalline silica dust, total respiratory dust, and spirometry performance in traditional and mechanical brick factories. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 70 workers in two brick factories (case) and 70 workers in a food industry (control) in 2016, who were monitored for crystalline silica and respirable dust exposure (NIOSH No.7602 and No.600). The exposure of 40 workers in the mechanical brick factory and 30 workers in the traditional brick factory to respirable crystalline silica and dust was compared with the controls. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Results: The mean respirable crystalline silica and general dust exposure in the mechanical and traditional brick factories was 0.47, 18.43, 0.651, and 28.27 mg/m3, respectively. The cases (brick factory) had lower FEV1%, FVC%, FEV1/FVC%, and PEF% indices compared to the controls. Conclusion: The mean substance exposure was above the occupational limits. The pulmonary capacities in the traditional and mechanical brick factories had no significant difference. However, the pulmonary function capacities were significantly lower than the controls.