Byssinosis in Cotton Textile Workers Respiratory Survey of a Mill with Rapid Labor Turnover

SUMMARY Sixty-one (29%) of 214 male workers exposed to dust in carding>oms of a cotton textile mill had and spinning ro byssinosis—that is, chest tightness, or cough, or both—on Mondays during work. Symptom prev-alence was higher among cigarette smokers but had no relation to duration of employment; prev-alence rates were similar among carders and spin-ners. In 66 carders and spinners forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEVi) decreased significantly on Monday; maximum expiratory flow volume (MEFV) curves showed decreases of flow rates on the effort-independent portion of these curves. These changes were similar among men who had worked less than 1 year and among those who had worked longer. Similar pulmonary function changes during dust exposure were found in 20 new work