International Journal of Research and Review Vol.7; Issue: 2; February 2020 Website: www.ijrrjournal.com Original Research Article E-ISSN: 2349-9788; P-ISSN: 2454-2237 Respiratory Morbidities Related To the Concentration of Airborne Particulate Matter among Brick Kiln Workers- A Cross Sectional Study in Charhi Block, Jharkhand Leena Singh1, Shuvankar Mukherjee2, Nabanita Bhattacharyya3, Mahul Mukherjee4, Sukanta Majumdar 5 1Junior Resident, 3Professor and Head, 4Demonstrator, 5Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. 2Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Raiganj Medical College and Hospital, Raiganj, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal,India. Corresponding Author: Shuvankar Mukherjee ABSTRACT spirometry results (OR=3.61,95% CI 1.822- 7.137,p≤0.05) than workers involved in Background: Brick kiln workers are Moulding and Carrying. occupationally more vulnerable towards Conclusion: High Frequency of respiratory developing various respiratory disorders like symptoms and illnesses were observed in the asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and decreased brick kiln workers. Workers involved in baking lung function. But very few research studies and firing were strongly associated with have been conducted to assess the respiratory abnormal spirometry results. health status of brick kiln workers in India and other developing countries. Keywords: Respiratory Morbidities, Brick Kiln Objective: This study tried to assess the Workers, Cross Sectional, Airborne Particulate prevalence of respiratory morbidities among Matter. brick kiln workers of Charhi Block, Jharkhand, estimate the magnitude of particulate exposures INTRODUCTION among brick kiln workers and to find out the Recent few years have seen relation , if any between different types of escalating awareness throughout the world respiratory morbidities and different types of regarding various occupational health working groups in brick kilns. problems. Methods: A cross-sectional, community based study was conducted in 270 brick kiln workers The brick manufacturing industry is of Charhi Block, Jharkhand from May, 2018- one of the oldest and the most rapidly Feb, 2019. American Thoracic Society –Lung growing industries in India so much so that Disease Questionnaire was used for the India has been ranked just behind China as interview of brick kiln workers.(in Hindi the second largest producer of bricks in the version). Spirometry was performed using PFT world. (1) Architech 5-Version-S.0.22.32360.Ambient Air Recent report issued by World Bank reveals Quality Monitoring Equipment was used for that more than 100, 000 brick kilns are Ambient Air Quality Analysis. currently functional in Bangladesh, India, Results: Study revealed that 33% workers had and Nepal; these brick kilns have been chronic cough while 23.3% reported chronic stamped as the topmost sources of air phlegm.5.6% suffered from dyspnoea,18.9% (2) were suffering from chronic bronchitis while pollution in these countries. 3.3% reported physician diagnosed Asthma. The Indian brick industry is a labor Brick kiln workers involved in Baking and intensive industry that employs about 15 Firing were strongly associated with abnormal million workers and consuming about 35 International Journal of Research and Review (ijrrjournal.com) 449 Vol.7; Issue: 2; February 2020 Leena Singh et.al. Respiratory morbidities related to the concentration of airborne particulate matter among brick kiln workers- a cross sectional study in Charhi block, Jharkhand million tons of coal annually. (1) Different are more likely to suffer from illnesses steps involved in brick making are briefed caused by the kilns’ pollution. (6) below. In addition, workers engaged in (1) Clay/soil excavation and preparation: different work tasks inside brick kilns Excavation of top soil from nearby suffered variety of respiratory illnesses. (7) agricultural fields is carried out and is A study which compared brickfield mixed with other soil types depending on workers to non-brickfield workers found requirements. It is followed by wet mixing that respiratory illness was present in 42% of soil manually. (2) Green brick moulding: of brickfield workers whereas only 9.3% in This process is carried out manually with the other group of workers. (8) As, per the help of wooden/plastic sincerest of literature search, it is found that moulds.(3)Drying of bricks: Moulded green very few research studies have been bricks are filled with moisture which is conducted to assess the respiratory health removed by sun drying. For drying process status of brick kiln workers in India and green bricks are kept under open field, and other developing countries. Therefore this upon drying they are loaded in the kiln.(4) study is an attempt to find out the Brick firing. Manual loading and stacking of respiratory health status of workers of hard dried bricks is done inside the kilns. endlessly enlarging and mushrooming brick After the process of firing and cooling, kilns flourishing along the Central bricks are categorized by visual inspection Coalfields Area of which Charhi Block is an and stacked for dispatch. important contributor to this endless chain. Unfortunately, this labour intensive sector is not regulated aptly by any specific MATERIALS AND METHODS administrative guidelines as per designing This cross-sectional, community of kilns, type of fuels to be used, protective based study was conducted in 5 brick kilns and safety measures, etc. As a result of of Charhi Block, Jharkhand from May, which majority of the brick kilns are 2018-Feb,2019. Taking the prevalence of inappropriately designed and use all sorts of chronic cough among brick kiln workers available combustible materials as fuels, eg, from previous studies, i.e.-brick kiln coal, petrol, diesel, wood, cow dung cakes, workers in Pakistan. (9) (Sheikh, et al-2012)= plastics, old tyres, etc. (3) p=22.4%. Applying the formula for sample This leads to the emission of a size calculation for cross-sectional studies, gamut of toxic gases in large amounts from taking standard normal deviate (z=1.96) at the furnaces of the kilns, eg, oxides of sulfur 95% confidence level and allowable error (SOx) and nitrogen (NOx), fluoride (d) as 5%, sample size taken was (n) =270 . compounds, Oxides of Carbon as Carbon As per the information received from Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), district administration (Hazaribagh) – hydrogen sulfide (H2S), suspended operating brick kilns were mainly present in particulate matters (SPM) and various five blocks namely-Barkagaon, Charhi, amounts of carcinogenic dioxins. Padma, Bishnugarh and Keredari. Out of There are strong documentations these blocks –Charhi block was selected which prove that chronic inhalation of these randomly for this study. pollutants lead to local lung tissue injury There are around 30 functional brick and pulmonary distress. (4) Therefore, brick kilns in this area with approximately 55 to kiln workers are occupationally at a high 60 brick kiln workers, each, so 5 out of total risk of developing various respiratory number of brick kilns were selected disorders like bronchitis, emphysema, randomly which altogether had 288 asthma, and decreased lung function. (5) workers. Inclusion Criteria for the study was Studies clearly show that brickfield workers all Brick kiln workers willing to participate and people in the surrounding community in the study. Exclusion Criteria were - Child International Journal of Research and Review (ijrrjournal.com) 450 Vol.7; Issue: 2; February 2020 Leena Singh et.al. Respiratory morbidities related to the concentration of airborne particulate matter among brick kiln workers- a cross sectional study in Charhi block, Jharkhand labourers working in the brick kilns, 2.Nox(Oxides of Nitrogen) 3.Sox(Oxides of Pregnant workers and Brick kiln workers Sulphur). diagnosed with Tuberculosis. Following the Health Records of the brick kiln workers inclusion and exclusion criteria 270 workers were also checked. were finally included in the study. This study was conducted after American Thoracic Society –Lung Disease obtaining permission from the Institutional Questionnaire was used for the interview of Ethics Committee of Calcutta National brick kiln workers.(in Hindi version). Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata. Variables considered for the study were age, Informed Consent was taken from each gender, religion, caste, residence, place of Brick Kiln Owner.. Informed Consent was origin, socio-economic status, educational taken from each study participant, clearly status, marital status, smoking, alcoholism, explaining the purpose of study. Brick kiln duration of exposure, type of work, any workers found to be suffering from concurrent health problem, past history of respiratory morbidities were counselled and any respiratory disease, family history of referred to the nearest public health facility. any respiratory morbidity. Socio-economic Statistical Analysis: Data were entered in status was assessed with the help of Microsoft Excel 2010.SPSS 23.0(IBM, Modified B.G.Prasad Scale,2018. Armonk, New York, USA) was used to Spirometry was performed using perform statistical analysis. Chi-square Test, PFT Architech 5-Version-S.0.22.32360. One-way ANOVA Test (with Bonferroni Spirometer was provided by Central post-hoc test) and Binary Logistic Coalfields Hospital, Charhi. Spirometry Regression analysis were done at 5% Parameters studied was FEV1/FVC Ratio. significance level. Based