Pulmonary functions and respiratory symptoms of the women exposed to mine tailings

Abstract

is the most important cause for noncommunicable cause for mortality and women as a gender at higher susceptibility to lung dysfunction, it was necessary to make a start to understand the detrimental effect of mine tailing on ambient air pollution almost two decades after closure and its effect on the vulnerable women residents. Materials and Methods: After institutional ethical clearance and informed consent, 258 females between the age of 18 and 60 years living in the gold mining town for over 3 years were selected. Respiratory symptoms were assessed using the American Thoracic Society questionnaire and lung functions of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and FEV1/FVC% using computerized spirometer. Dust samples were analyzed for particulate matter concentration (PM) by gravimetric method. Results: The average PM concentration in the mining area was 1.491±0.737 mg/m. Of the respiratory symptoms, complaints of cough were 34%, breathlessness 31%, phlegm 30%, and asthma 20%. FVC, FEV1, and PEFR were 1.3157 ± 0.487 L/s, 1.2500 ± 0.4850 L/s, and 2.611 ± 1.185 L/s, respectively. FEV/FEV1 was 93.650 ± 9.2733%. Conclusion: Mine tailing contributed to ambient air pollution, which has significantly decreased lung functions in the local women residents and produced the restrictive type of lung abnormality.