Abstract
There are known negative effects of smoking on the lung function. The impact of smoking on the lung function of the potash mines with different industrial work record of service has not been so far well investigated.
Objective: To evaluate the influence of smoking on the lung function characteristics of the miners potash mines with different industrial work record of service.
Methods: We examined 111 miners of potash mine in Soligorsk (all male, average age 36.1 yrs with different industrial work record by spirometry: I gr. with the record of service less than 10 yrs, II gr. has the record of service from 10 to 20 yrs, and III gr. - more than 20 yrs. 74% of examined miners were smokers. Period of smoking was in average 1.3 year more than industrial work record of service.
Results: The miner's lung function characteristics were in total very high and according to the normal significance. In I gr. of miners the lung function characteristics were equal to characteristics of smokers and nonsmokers. There were no significant differences in characteristics between the smokers and nonsmokers in II gr. of miners, but there was a tendency to decreasing VC and MEV75 in smokers. MEV75 was decreased in smokers of III gr. compare to nonsmokers (81.2±10.1 and 102.8±9.4; p <0.05).
Conclusion: Our investigation shows that smoking exerts more intensive negative influence on the lung function of the potash mine workers than industrial aerosols. Antismoking programs could be one of the main points of prophylactic strategy in Soligorsk Central Hospital.
The presumably positive effect of potash mine microclimate neutralizes the negative impact not only of industrial aerosols but also of smoking on the lung function.
- © 2011 ERS
