An Observational Study of Lung Function Alterations in Stone Quarry Workers of North Karnataka

Introduction The disorganized stone quarrying industry creates much noise and pollution for valuable commodities such as coal, metal, and stones throughout the extraction process. It produces dust particles with varying aerodynamic sizes between 1 and 100 microns composed of silica, organic solvents, and heavy metals. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of stone dust on pulmonary functions and their correlations with sociodemographic variables among quarry stone workers. Methodology The study group consisted of 50 male subjects working in a quarry exposed to stone dust, and the control group comprised 50 matched male subjects who were hospital employees. Detailed anthropometric and physiological data and pulmonary functions were recorded using computerized Spiro Excel. The parameters recorded were forced vital capacity (FVC) in mL, forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) in mL, the percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%), and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) in mmHg recorded using the modified Blacks apparatus. Observation There was a significant reduction in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) (p=0.004) in the study group (138.4±62.80 L/minute) as compared to the control group (272.8±327.6 L/minute). Also, there was a significant reduction in MEP (p=0.16) in the study group (23.6±12.4 mmHg) as compared to the control group (38.4±227 mmHg). There was no significant decrease in other parameters in the study group compared to the controls. Conclusion Lung function parameters were negatively correlated with the duration of exposure. We attribute this reduction in lung function tests to respiratory muscle weakness. Therefore, breathing exercises must be available to such workers to strengthen the respiratory muscles and improve lung function tests.