Oxygen Saturation Status and Prevalence of Respiratory Symptoms among Female Bakery Workers Using Fossil Fuel in Benin-City, Nigeria

Background: Flour dust is a respiratory sensitizer and chronic exposure to it and to Carbon Monoxide as a result of burning fossil fuel could affect the pulmonary functions and stimulate allergic responses. This study is designed to determine occupational related respiratory symptoms and oxygen saturation level of bakery worker exposed to flour dust.

Objective: Our objective is to compare the respiratory symptoms and oxygen saturation status of bakery workers with those of office workers not exposed to flour dust; compare dust concentration and carbon monoxide levels in the bakery and office environments.

Materials and Methods: Ninety healthy non-smoking adult female workers (test group) from 23 bread bakery industries participated in this study and age and sex matched with 90 healthy adult non-smoking female civil servants not exposed to such an occupational hazard were taken as controls. Pulse Oximetry was performed in all the participants who also completed questionnaire to assess demographic characteristics and prevalence of respiratory symptoms, The results were analyzed using Microsoft Excels, (2013) in percentages, mean ± standard error, student’s t-test for cross group comparison and Chi-square test to assess the association between categorical variables.

Results: The study revealed that the mean oxygen saturation status (SpO₂) of bakery workers was significantly (P < .05) lower than that of the control group. Also, respiratory symptoms were found to be significantly more prevalent among bakery workers compared to the control group. Dust concentration and Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels were significantly higher in the baking environments compared with the control environments.

Conclusion: In conclusion, workers exposed to flour dust have sensitivity to allergens of flour protein and the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which can lead to the increase in respiratory symptoms.