Daily changes of peak expiratory flow and respiratory symptom occurrence around a soy processing factory

Journal Title: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine - Year 2014, Vol 21, Issue 1

Abstract

Objectives. To evaluate sensitization and acute respiratory health effects in inhabitants living in the vicinity of a factory producing soy oil.Methods. Two panels of potential responders were created on the basis of a response to a short screening questionnaire sent to random samples of 1,000 exposed and 1,000 non-exposed individuals living around the factory and a control area. Individuals responding to the questionnaire were invited for a medical evaluation, including a respiratory symptom questionnaire and skin prick testing, for a panel of common allergens and a soy allergen extract. This resulted in 53 atopic and/or asthmatic inhabitants from the area surrounding the factory and 30 comparable control subjects. In these subjects, morning and evening Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF), respiratory symptoms and medication use were recorded daily during a 10-week period in the autumn. At the same time, soy allergen and endotoxin concentrations were determined in airborne dust in the exposed and the control area. The wind direction relative to the location of a subjects’ house and the factory was used to determine whether an individual was exposed on a particular day.Results. Only few of the atopic subjects were sensitized to soy. PEF showed a decrease, respiratory symptoms and bronchodilator use, an increase among soy sensitized subjects after having been downwind from the factory. Airborne soy allergen was found more frequently in the area surrounding the factory and levels were higher than in the control area. Highest levels were found on the factory premises. Only a weak association was found with wind direction. Airborne endotoxin concentrations did not show a consistent pattern with distance, but levels were clearly higher on the factory premises.Conclusion. Sensitization to soy allergen was not increased among the population sample living in the vicinity of the factory. Soy sensitized individuals living in the surroundings of the factory reported more respiratory symptoms, used bronchodilators more often and had a lower PEF after having been downwind of the factory.

Authors and Affiliations

Dick Heederik, Gert Doekes, Rob van Strien, Bert Brunekreef

Keywords

Related Articles

Exposure of children to food advertising on Polish television

[b]Introduction.[/b] Food and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS), high-calorie meals and sedentary lifestyle are the main factors contributing to the emergence of overweight and obesity. A significant role in the...

Environmental exposure to airborne asbestos fibres in a highly urbanized city.

Asbestos fibres, when released into the air, can pose serious health hazards to exposed people. The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of respirable asbestos fibres in a highly urbanized and densely pop...

<strong><em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em></strong><strong> sensu lato as activators of the complement system in <em>in vitro</em> model.</strong>

Introduction. The following parameters were analyzed: C5a, which is significant in classical and alternative pathways of the complement system activation, and factor H, the major function of which is to regulate the alte...

<strong>Air samplings in a <em>Campylobacter jejuni</em> positive laying hen flock</strong>

The air in laying hen houses contains high concentrations of airborne bacteria. The numbers of these bacteria can be influenced by the efficiency of the chosen sampling method. In the presented study, AGI-30 Impingers an...

The influence of passive and active moral training on medical university on changes of students’ moral competence index – results from randomized single blinded trial

Introduction and Objectives. Human’s life as well as medical professions consist of many moral dilemmas. The aim of our study was to evaluate moral competences of midwifery students during their whole university educatio...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP80728
  • DOI -
  • Views 149
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Dick Heederik, Gert Doekes, Rob van Strien, Bert Brunekreef (2014). Daily changes of peak expiratory flow and respiratory symptom occurrence around a soy processing factory. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 21(1), 5-10. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-80728