Symptoms: chest tightness and shortness of breath that occur after returning to work on Monday mornings; the airway obstruction may become more persistent after years of exposure and eventually cause disability;
Signs: the drop in lung function (FEV1) seen in acute episodes of early disease may become progressively worse and irreversible in late disease;
Onset of symptoms after exposure: 1 to 2 hours;
Repeated exposure to: endotoxin contaminated dusts of cotton, flax or hemp;
Prevention: Industrial engineering to reduce dust exposure;.
Comments: Byssinosis is caused by exposure to dust generated during the preparation, carding, or spinning of vegetable fibers (cotton, flax, hemp, and to a lesser extent, sisal). Chronic byssinnosis is unusual in workers exposed for less than 10 years. [Hendrick, p. 46-7] In a cross-sectional study of workers in a cotton spinning mill, endotoxin levels in EU/m3 were classified as low (<100), medium (100-450), and high (>450). Pulmonary function testing showed an increased risk for obstructive findings in the high exposure group (odds ratio = 11.22). [
PMID 17051395]