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Health Risks and Dust Exposure among Flour Mill Workers in Eastern India: A Comprehensive Study

Jaynarayan Mishra , Kumudini Verma , Santosh Kumar Mohanty and Ipsita Rath

1 Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha India

Corresponding author Email: ipsitaips143@gmail.com

Flour milling, a prevalent agricultural industry in semi-urban and urban areas of India, involves grinding whole wheat to produce flour. However, this indoor occupation exposes workers to hazardous flour dust for prolonged periods without adequate ventilation. To investigate the health implications, a study was conducted on 142 flour mill workers in and around Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The findings revealed significant health issues, including respiratory problems (20%), eye irritation (8.6%), headache (11.4%), and shortness of breath (31.4%) among workers. Alarming levels of PM2.5 (330–385 ?g m-3) and PM10 (420–470 ?g m-3) dust particles were recorded. Notably, workers with over 10-15 years of experience displayed reduced pulmonary function, with a decline in force vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). To mitigate these risks, the study recommends implementing personal protective equipment, improved ventilation, and regular medical care for flour mill workers.

Dust; Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1); Force Vital Capacity (FVC); PPE; Pulmonary function

Copy the following to cite this article:

Mishra J, Verma K, Mohanty S. K, Rath I. Health Risks and Dust Exposure among Flour Mill Workers in Eastern India: A Comprehensive Study. Curr World Environ 2024;19(2).

Copy the following to cite this URL:

Mishra J, Verma K, Mohanty S. K, Rath I. Health Risks and Dust Exposure among Flour Mill Workers in Eastern India: A Comprehensive Study. Curr World Environ 2024;19(2).

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