The Burden of Respiratory Abnormalities Among Workers at Coffee Roasting and Packaging Facilities
Introduction: Respiratory hazards in the coffee roasting and packaging industry can include asthmagens such as green coffee bean and other dust and alpha-diketones such as diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione that can occur naturally from roasting coffee or artificially from addition of flavoring to coffee...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-01-01
|
Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00005/full |
_version_ | 1818510585352945664 |
---|---|
author | R. Reid Harvey Ethan D. Fechter-Leggett Rachel L. Bailey Nicole T. Edwards Kathleen B. Fedan M. Abbas Virji Randall J. Nett Jean M. Cox-Ganser Kristin J. Cummings |
author_facet | R. Reid Harvey Ethan D. Fechter-Leggett Rachel L. Bailey Nicole T. Edwards Kathleen B. Fedan M. Abbas Virji Randall J. Nett Jean M. Cox-Ganser Kristin J. Cummings |
author_sort | R. Reid Harvey |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Introduction: Respiratory hazards in the coffee roasting and packaging industry can include asthmagens such as green coffee bean and other dust and alpha-diketones such as diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione that can occur naturally from roasting coffee or artificially from addition of flavoring to coffee. We sought to describe the burden of respiratory abnormalities among workers at 17 coffee roasting and packaging facilities.Methods: We completed medical surveys at 17 coffee roasting and packaging facilities that included interviewer-administered questionnaires and pulmonary function testing. We summarized work-related symptoms, diagnoses, and spirometry testing results among all participants. We compared health outcomes between participants who worked near flavoring and who did not.Results: Participants most commonly reported nose and eye symptoms, and wheeze, with a work-related pattern for some. Symptoms and pulmonary function tests were consistent with work-related asthma in some participants. About 5% of workers had abnormal spirometry and most improved after bronchodilator. Health outcomes were similar between employees who worked near flavoring and who did not, except employees who worked near flavoring reported more chronic bronchitis and ever receiving a diagnosis of asthma than those who did not work near flavoring.Conclusion: The symptoms and patterns likely represent overlapping health effects of different respiratory hazards, including green coffee bean and other dust that can contribute to work-related asthma, and diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione that can contribute to obliterative bronchiolitis. Healthcare providers and occupational health and safety practitioners should be aware that workers at coffee roasting and packaging facilities are potentially at risk for occupational lung diseases. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-10T23:21:55Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-4810c6f5f7dd491b8c98971a019e0bc7 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2296-2565 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-10T23:21:55Z |
publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
record_format | Article |
series | Frontiers in Public Health |
spelling | doaj.art-4810c6f5f7dd491b8c98971a019e0bc72022-12-22T01:29:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652020-01-01810.3389/fpubh.2020.00005505717The Burden of Respiratory Abnormalities Among Workers at Coffee Roasting and Packaging FacilitiesR. Reid HarveyEthan D. Fechter-LeggettRachel L. BaileyNicole T. EdwardsKathleen B. FedanM. Abbas VirjiRandall J. NettJean M. Cox-GanserKristin J. CummingsIntroduction: Respiratory hazards in the coffee roasting and packaging industry can include asthmagens such as green coffee bean and other dust and alpha-diketones such as diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione that can occur naturally from roasting coffee or artificially from addition of flavoring to coffee. We sought to describe the burden of respiratory abnormalities among workers at 17 coffee roasting and packaging facilities.Methods: We completed medical surveys at 17 coffee roasting and packaging facilities that included interviewer-administered questionnaires and pulmonary function testing. We summarized work-related symptoms, diagnoses, and spirometry testing results among all participants. We compared health outcomes between participants who worked near flavoring and who did not.Results: Participants most commonly reported nose and eye symptoms, and wheeze, with a work-related pattern for some. Symptoms and pulmonary function tests were consistent with work-related asthma in some participants. About 5% of workers had abnormal spirometry and most improved after bronchodilator. Health outcomes were similar between employees who worked near flavoring and who did not, except employees who worked near flavoring reported more chronic bronchitis and ever receiving a diagnosis of asthma than those who did not work near flavoring.Conclusion: The symptoms and patterns likely represent overlapping health effects of different respiratory hazards, including green coffee bean and other dust that can contribute to work-related asthma, and diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione that can contribute to obliterative bronchiolitis. Healthcare providers and occupational health and safety practitioners should be aware that workers at coffee roasting and packaging facilities are potentially at risk for occupational lung diseases.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00005/fullcoffee roasting and packagingoccupational asthmaobliterative bronchiolitisflavoringdiacetyl2 |
spellingShingle | R. Reid Harvey Ethan D. Fechter-Leggett Rachel L. Bailey Nicole T. Edwards Kathleen B. Fedan M. Abbas Virji Randall J. Nett Jean M. Cox-Ganser Kristin J. Cummings The Burden of Respiratory Abnormalities Among Workers at Coffee Roasting and Packaging Facilities Frontiers in Public Health coffee roasting and packaging occupational asthma obliterative bronchiolitis flavoring diacetyl 2 |
title | The Burden of Respiratory Abnormalities Among Workers at Coffee Roasting and Packaging Facilities |
title_full | The Burden of Respiratory Abnormalities Among Workers at Coffee Roasting and Packaging Facilities |
title_fullStr | The Burden of Respiratory Abnormalities Among Workers at Coffee Roasting and Packaging Facilities |
title_full_unstemmed | The Burden of Respiratory Abnormalities Among Workers at Coffee Roasting and Packaging Facilities |
title_short | The Burden of Respiratory Abnormalities Among Workers at Coffee Roasting and Packaging Facilities |
title_sort | burden of respiratory abnormalities among workers at coffee roasting and packaging facilities |
topic | coffee roasting and packaging occupational asthma obliterative bronchiolitis flavoring diacetyl 2 |
url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00005/full |
work_keys_str_mv | AT rreidharvey theburdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT ethandfechterleggett theburdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT rachellbailey theburdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT nicoletedwards theburdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT kathleenbfedan theburdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT mabbasvirji theburdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT randalljnett theburdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT jeanmcoxganser theburdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT kristinjcummings theburdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT rreidharvey burdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT ethandfechterleggett burdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT rachellbailey burdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT nicoletedwards burdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT kathleenbfedan burdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT mabbasvirji burdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT randalljnett burdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT jeanmcoxganser burdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities AT kristinjcummings burdenofrespiratoryabnormalitiesamongworkersatcoffeeroastingandpackagingfacilities |