Assessing the Feasibility of a Multifaceted Intervention Package for Improving Respiratory Health of Textile Workers: Findings From the MultiTex Pilot Study in Karachi, Pakistan

We piloted the development and implementation of a multifaceted intervention package for improving respiratory health among textile workers using a pre-post design at six mills in Karachi. The intervention, implemented following a baseline survey (n = 498), included health and safety training of workers and managers, promotion of cotton dust control measures, and the provision of facemasks. Follow-up surveys were conducted at 1, 6, and 12 months post-intervention. Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) scores and respiratory symptoms were assessed through a questionnaire and spirometry was conducted. The intervention was provided to 230 workers and led to an improvement in KAP scores that was more likely among workers with a higher educational status, spinners, smokers, those with a permanent employment status, working in morning shifts, and with ⩾5 years of textile experience. We found the intervention acceptable and feasible in these textile mills henceforth, trials are required to determine its effectiveness.

A Comparative Thermoacoustic Insulation Study of Silica Aerogels Reinforced with Reclaimed Textile Fibres: Cotton, Polyester and Wool

Silica aerogels are highly porous materials with exceptional thermal insulation performance. They become even more attractive if combined thermal and acoustic insulation is achieved. Silica aerogel composites reinforced with fibres are an ingenious way to surpass the fragility stemmed from the aerogel's intrinsic porosity, and textile fibres are good sound absorption materials. Reclaimed fibres are a relatively low-cost feedstock and were obtained in this work exclusively through mechanical processes from textile wastes, thus promoting the concept of circular economy, namely for cotton, polyester and wool fibres. These reclaimed fibres were used as reinforcement matrices for silica aerogel composites obtained from sol-gel transformation of tetraethyl orthosilicate and isobutyltriethoxysilane/or vinyltrimethoxysilane precursors and dried at ambient pressure after silylation. Silica aerogel composites reinforced with reclaimed cotton fibres had the best sound absorption coefficient (a peak value of 0.89), while the polyester-reinforced composite exhibited the lowest thermal conductivity (k = ~24 mW m^-1 K^-1, Hot Disk). The better combined results on thermal and acoustic insulation were achieved by the wool-reinforced composites. The thermal conductivity values were less than 27 mW m^-1 K^-1, and the sound absorption coefficient achieved a peak value of 0.85. Therefore, the aerogel composites developed here can be selected for thermal or/and acoustic barriers by choosing a suitable type of fibre. Their design and preparation protocol followed environmental-friendly and cost-effective approaches.

Impact of textile dyes on human health and bioremediation of textile industry effluent using microorganisms: current status and future prospects

Environmental contamination brought on by the discharge of wastewater from textile industries is a growing concern on a global scale. Textile industries produce a huge quantity of effluents containing a myriad of chemicals, mostly dyes. The discharge of such effluents into the aquatic environment results in pollution that adversely affects aquatic organisms. Synthetic dyes are complex aromatic chemical structures with carcinogenic and mutagenic properties in addition to high biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). This complex aromatic structure resists degradation by conventional techniques. The bioremediation approach is the biological clean-up of toxic contaminants from industrial effluents. Biological treatment methods produce less or no sludge and are cost-effective, efficient, and eco-friendly. Microorganisms, mostly microalgae and bacteria, and, in some instances, fungi, yeast, and enzymes decolorize textile dye compounds into simple, non-toxic chemical compounds. Following a thorough review of the literature, we are persuaded that microalgae and bacteria might be one of the potential decolorizing agents substituting for most other biological organisms in wastewater treatment. This article presents extensive literature information on textile dyes, their classification, the toxicity of dyes, and the bioremediation of toxic textile industry effluent utilizing microalgae and bacteria. Additionally, it combines data on factors influencing textile dye bioremediation, and a few suggestions for future research are proposed.

Factors Associated With the Health and Economic Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Peruvian Textile Sector, 2020-2021

The article identifies the factors associated with the health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people working in the textile industry of Lima, Peru, during 2021. The study was conducted in Peru's largest textile emporium, so-called Gamarra. The study design is observational and cross-sectional, with two models with two temporal samples for the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first model measures the chance of getting sick from COVID-19. The second model measures the economic impact by the variations in incomes. Inferential statistics are employed, using the chi-square test. The p-value (p < 0.05) is evaluated to decide the statistical significance of the variables. Of 820 workers included, 48% work in street trading, 45% are ≤ 35 years of age and 15% are foreign migrants. Logistic regression analysis for the first model reveals an association between infection by a family member, people breaking quarantine, foreign nationality, not having hygienic services and having a chronic disease, with the highest probability of COVID-19 infection. Regarding economic impact, an association is found between educational level, being ≥45 years of age and infection of a family member, with a greater probability of variation in income.

Use of Low-Cost Particle Counters for Cotton Dust Exposure Assessment in Textile Mills in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

OBJECTIVE

There is a lack of consensus on methods for cotton dust measurement in the textile industry, and techniques vary between countries-relying mostly on cumbersome, traditional approaches. We undertook comparisons of standard, gravimetric methods with low-cost optical particle counters for personal and area dust measurements in textile mills in Pakistan.

METHODS

We included male textile workers from the weaving sections of seven cotton mills in Karachi. We used the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) sampler with a Casella Apex 2 standard pump and the Purple Air (PA-II-SD) for measuring personal exposures to inhalable airborne particles (n = 31). We used the Dylos DC1700 particle counter, in addition to the two above, for area-level measurements (n = 29).

RESULTS

There were no significant correlations between the IOM and PA for personal dust measurements using the original (r = -0.15, P = 0.4) or log-transformed data (r = -0.32, P = 0.07). Similarly, there were no significant correlations when comparing the IOM with either of the particle counters (PA and Dylos) for area dust measurements, using the original (r = -0.07, P = 0.7; r = 0.10, P = 0.6) or log-transformed data (r = -0.09, P = 0.6; r = 0.07, P = 0.7).

CONCLUSION

Our findings show a lack of correlation between the gravimetric method and the use of particle counters in both personal and area measurements of cotton dust, precluding their use for measuring occupational exposures to airborne dust in textile mills. There continues to be a need to develop low-cost instruments to help textile industries in low- and middle-income countries to perform cotton dust exposure assessment.

Assessment of the Eco-Efficiency of the Circular Economy in the Recovery of Cellulose from the Shredding of Textile Waste

There is a growing demand for the adoption of cyclical processes in the fashion industry. The trends point to the reuse of cellulose from cotton fibres, obtained from industrial waste, as a substitute to the former linear processes of manufacturing, sale, use, and discarding. This study sets up to explore and assess the economic and environmental gains from the mechanical shredding of cellulose in cotton fabrics in a textile company, identifying the circularity associated with the adoption of such methods. The study resorted to a case study methodology building on interviews and observation. For the environmental estimations, the study employed the material intensity factor tool, and for the economic evaluation the study uses the return on investment. The study also offers an estimation of the circularity of the processes that were implemented. The adoption of the mechanical shredding for cotton cellulose generated economic gains of US$11,798,662.98 and a reduction in the environmental impact that amounts to 31,335,767,040.26 kg including the following different compartments: biotic, abiotic, water, air, and erosion. The findings suggest the existence of opportunities for the circular economy in the textile sector of about 99.69%, dissociated to the use of mechanical recycling, while limited by the consumption of electrical energy and lubricants in the recycling process, leading the way to a circular economy.

Polyvinylidene fluoride nanocomposite super hydrophilic membrane integrated with Polyaniline-Graphene oxide nano fillers for treatment of textile effluents

Water pollution from the fashion industries containing dyes has become a major source of water pollution. These anthropogenic contaminated waters directly enter irrigation and drinking water systems, causing irreversible environmental damage to human health. Nanomembrane technology has attracted extensive attention to remove these toxic chemicals but new approaches are still required for improving removal efficiency and control the channel size. The work deals with the fabrication of a novel hybrid polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-polyaniline (PANI) membrane with graphene oxide (GO). Incorporation of PANI-GO as a nanofiller has significantly improved antifouling properties and a solvent content of the fabricated membrane. Besides, pure water flux also increases from 112 to 454 L m^-2 h^-1 indicating the hydrophilic nature of the nanocomposite membrane. Among various compositions, the nanocomposites membrane with 0.1 %w/v GO demonstrated a maximum of 98 % dye rejection at 0.1 MPa operating pressure. After multiple testing of the membrane, the flux recovery ratio reached about 94 % and dyes rejection improved with the addition of PANI-GO. The removal efficiency of the composite membrane for Allura red is 98 % and for methyl orange is 95 %. Based on the above results the PVDF/PANI/GO membranes are recommended for practical use in wastewater treatment, particularly for anionic dyes removal from textile effluents.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Respiratory Symptoms Among Bahir Dar Textile Industry Workers, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION

The expansions of labor-intensive investments in a developing countries, especially in textile production create a dusty work environment for workers, and those workers are from the low socio-economic group and need special safety concern.

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and associated factors among textile factories workers in Bahir Dar, Amhara region, Ethiopia, 2015.

METHODS

Institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed among randomly selected 384 textile workers using pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. We stratified workers by their working section in the textile industries. Then the proportional numbers of workers were selected from each working section of the factory by using a random number generator. The identification number of workers from each factory was used for selection. The data were checked, coded, and entered to Epi-info Version 7 and exported to the Statistical Package for Social Science Version 20 for further analysis. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify associated factors. Variables having a P ⩽ .2 were fitted to multivariate logistic regression so as to assess the presence and strength of association with the respiratory symptom. Variables having a P < .05 were considered as significant.

RESULTS

Three hundred eighty-three (99.74%) of the study participants responded completely filling the questionnaire. In this study, the prevalence of cough, phlegm, bronchitis, chronic bronchitis, and chest pain among the respondents were 31 (8.1%), 45 (11.7%), 26 (6.8%), 2 (0.5%), and 21 (5.5%), respectively. Generally, 141 (36.81%) of the respondents have either of the above respiratory symptoms in the textile industry. Working in the spinning section (AOR = 3.26, 95% CI: 1.80, 5.89), being in the grade 11 and 12 level and below (AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.50, 3.70) and personal protective equipment (PPE) utilization (AOR = 4.88 95% CI: 1.54-15.45) were significantly associated with respiratory symptoms in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of respiratory symptoms in Bahir Dar Textile workers was relatively high. Working department, educational status, and PPE use were variables significantly associated with respiratory symptoms in this study. Experience sharing across departments, employing educated workers and provision of personal protective equipment are important tasks to be followed to reduce respiratory symptoms in the industry.

Improving the Catalytic Performance of Pectate Lyase Through Pectate Lyase/Cu3(PO4)2 Hybrid Nanoflowers as an Immobilized Enzyme

Pectate lyases (Pels) can be used in the textile industrial process for cotton scouring and ramie degumming, and its hydrolyzed products oligo galacturonic acid, are high-value added agricultural and health products. In our previous studies, an alkaline pectate lyase PEL168 mutant, PEL3, was obtained with improved specific activity and thermostability. Here, a facile and rapid method for preparing an immobilized PEL3-inorganic hybrid nanoflower was developed, as it could improve its biocatalytic performance. With 0.02 mg/mL (112.2 U/mL) PEL3 in PBS buffer, five different divalent ions, including Mn2+, Ca2+, Co2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+, were used as inorganic component. The results showed that PEL3/Cu3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers presented the highest relative activity with 2.5-fold increase, compared to the free PEL3. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the composition of PEL3/Cu3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers were pectate lyase PEL3 and Cu3(PO4)2⋅5H2O. The optimum temperature and pH of PEL3/Cu3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers were ascertained to be 55°C and pH 9.0, respectively, exhibiting subtle difference from the free PEL3. However, the PEL3/Cu3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers maintained 33% residual activity after 24 h incubation at 55°C, while the free PEL3 completely lost its activity after 18 h incubation at 55°C. Furthermore, over 50% residual activity of the PEL3/Cu3(PO4)2 hybrid nanoflowers was remained, even after four times of repetitive utilization, demonstrating its promising stability for practical application.

Facile Fabrication of Microfluidic Chips for 3D Hydrodynamic Focusing and Wet Spinning of Polymeric Fibers

Microfluidic wet spinning has gained increasing interest in recent years as an alternative to conventional wet spinning by offering higher control in fiber morphology and a gateway for the development of multi-material fibers. Conventionally, microfluidic chips used to create such fibers are fabricated by soft lithography, a method that requires both time and investment in necessary cleanroom facilities. Recently, additive manufacturing techniques were investigated for rapid and cost-efficient prototyping. However, these microfluidic devices are not yet matching the resolutions and tolerances offered by soft lithography. Herein, we report a facile and rapid method using selected arrays of hypodermic needles as templates within a silicone elastomer matrix. The produced microfluidic spinnerets display co-axially aligned circular channels. By simulation and flow experiments, we prove that these devices can maintain laminar flow conditions and achieve precise 3D hydrodynamic focusing. The devices were tested with a commercial polyurethane formulation to demonstrate that fibers with desired morphologies can be produced by varying the degree of hydrodynamic focusing. Thanks to the adaptability of this concept to different microfluidic spinneret designs-as well as to its transparency, ease of fabrication, and cost-efficient procedure-this device sets the ground for transferring microfluidic wet spinning towards industrial textile settings.

Peer Educators as Change Leaders - Effectiveness of Peer Education Process in Creating Awareness on Reproductive Health among Women Workers in Textile Industry

Context:

India is one of the leading manufacturers of garments with roughly 80% of the workforce dominated by female migrant workers. Lack of education and access to resources in these women contribute to unsafe sexual behaviors, sometimes leading to unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Awareness raising, and peer education in particular, is extremely effective in addressing reproductive health issues.

Aims:

This study aims to study the effectiveness of peer health education in improving the awareness on reproductive health among women workers in textile industries.

Settings and Design:

A health educational interventional study for women in garment and spinning mills using peer education process carried out over a period of 18 months.

Subjects and Methods:

The process includes orientation to factory management, health needs’ assessment, identifying health topics, peer educators’ selection, peer educator trainings followed by outreach sessions, and impact measurement. The impact of peer education on reproductive health has been assessed among 597 participants from 9 factories.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Data were entered in SPSS version 24 and analyzed. Results were expressed as percentages. Chi square test was used where appropriate to find association between categorical variables.

Results:

The mean age of the workers in both the groups is 25.4 (±9.6) years and 25.1 (±8.3) years. In both the groups, most of the workers were single and more than half of them reside within the factory premises. Significant change in menstrual hygiene practices, knowledge in family planning methods, STIs, and cervical cancer has been observed following peer health education.

Conclusions:

A well-designed health educational interventional program using peer educators could be a successful approach to create awareness on sensitive topics.

Biodegradation of Synthetic Dyes of Textile Effluent by Microorganisms: An Environmentally and Economically Sustainable Approach

Due to its overall environmental impact, the residual dye in the wastewater from the synthetic dye manufacturing and textile industries is a global concern. The discharge contains a high content of pigments and other additives, possessing complex structures. As per the requirement for dyed clothing, dyestuff in the effluent is less susceptible to acids, bases, and oxygen. Thus, conventional physical and chemical methods are not always efficient in degrading the dyes. Some microorganisms growing in an area affected with textile effluent have the capability to utilize the dyes as a source of carbon or nitrogen or both. As a very clean, inexpensive, and sufficient alternative, bioremediation of textile wastewater using these microorganisms has gained major popularity. This review primarily centers the contribution of bacteria in this sector and the isolation of such bacteria from textile effluent. A secondary focus is discussing the factors which influence the performance by different bacteria.

Malignant Versus Benign Tumors of the Sinonasal Cavity: A Case-Control Study on Occupational Etiology

Case-control studies on malignant sinonasal tumors and occupational risk factors are generally weakened by non-occupational confounders and the selection of suitable controls. This study aimed to confirm the association between sinonasal malignant tumors and patients' occupations with consideration for sinonasal inverted papillomas (SNIPs) as a control group. Thirty-two patients affected by adenocarcinoma (ADC) and 21 non-adenocarcinoma epithelial tumors (NAETs) were compared to 65 patients diagnosed with SNIPs. All patients were recruited in the same clinical setting between 2004 and 2016. A questionnaire was used to collect information on non-occupational factors (age, sex, smoking, allergies, and chronic sinusitis) and occupations (wood- and leather-related occupations, textile industry, metal working). Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) associated with selected occupations were obtained by a multinomial and exact logistic regression. Between the three groups of patients, SNIP patients were significantly younger than ADC patients (p = 0.026). The risk of NAET increased in woodworkers (OR = 9.42; CI = 1.94⁻45.6) and metal workers (OR = 5.65; CI = 1.12⁻28.6). The risk of ADC increased in wood (OR = 86.3; CI = 15.2⁻488) and leather workers (OR = 119.4; CI = 11.3⁻1258). On the exact logistic regression, the OR associated to the textile industry was 9.32 (95%CI = 1.10⁻Inf) for ADC, and 7.21 (95%CI = 0.55⁻Inf) for NAET. Comparing sinonasal malignant tumors with controls recruited from the same clinical setting allowed demonstrating an increased risk associated with multiple occupations. Well-matched samples of cases and controls reduced the confounding bias and increased the strength of the association.

Occupational exposures and parkinsonism among Shanghai women textile workers

BACKGROUND

Endotoxin, a contaminant of cotton dust, is an experimental model for parkinsonism (PS).

METHODS

We investigated associations between exposures to endotoxin, solvents, magnetic fields, and night shift work, and neurologist-determined PS among Shanghai women textile workers, including 537 retired cotton factory workers ages ≥50 years and an age-matched reference group of 286 retired textile workers not exposed to cotton dust. Repeat exams were conducted 2.5 years after enrollment among 467 cotton workers and 229 reference workers.

RESULTS

We identified 39 prevalent PS cases and 784 non-cases. No consistent or statistically significant associations were observed for endotoxin, solvents, magnetic fields, or shift work with PS risk, severity, or progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the null findings, additional studies of endotoxin exposure and risk of PS in other well-characterized occupational cohorts are warranted in view of toxicological evidence that endotoxin is a pathogenic agent and its widespread occurrence in multiple industries worldwide.

Asbestos-related disease in upholsterers

Before its use was banned in developed countries, asbestos was widely applied in upholstery. However, the risk of asbestos diseases among upholsterers has only rarely been reported. In this case series, we present a first series of 6 workers employed in small workshops who developed several asbestos-related diseases, including pleural plaques, pleural fibrosis, and asbestosis. Exposures were intermittent and difficult to quantify, but lung asbestos content assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage was high in the 3 patients evaluated. In conclusion, upholstery work should be considered an at-risk occupation for developing asbestos-related diseases during the 20th century.

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal injuries among South Indian hand screen-printing workers

BACKGROUND

Hand screen-printing (HSP) plays a predominant role in textile industries in developing countries. Workers from HSP industry were mostly affected by musculoskeletal injury due to monotonous, and prolonged work nature and poor workplace environment.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) symptoms and risk factors associated among the HSP industry workers.

METHODS

Cochran's sample size for categorical data was used to select 385 HSP workers of 1000 samples from various provinces of Tamil Nadu, INDIA. Modified Nordic based questionnaire was used to assess the musculoskeletal injuries and risk factors among HSP workers.

RESULTS

The statistical analysis revealed that 62.5% workers are prone to MSD symptoms with lower back (75.1%), shoulder (66.2%), knees (58.7%), and ankle/feet (55.6%). Age, experience, marital status, stress in the job were the risk factors which significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the reported MSDs. Further, this study result infers that the subjects with higher age and experience are exposed higher levels of MSD prevalence of 85.5% and 92.0% respectively in past 12 months than other groups. Among the different work categories in HSP task, the workers reported with the maximum discomfort during printing work (63.1%) with Odds ratio as 10.38 and 95% CI is 6.18-17.4. than the material handling and drying task.

CONCLUSIONS

Study results infer that HSP workers are prone to lower back and shoulder pain followed by knees and ankle feet regions. Socio-demographic factors, awkward posture and repetitive movements contribute to cause MSD among hand screen-printing workers.

Depression and Behavioral Problems Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women Employees of the Textile Industry in India

Stress and depression are common in textile industry employees due to inadequate working conditions and challenging socioeconomic conditions. The objective of the study was to assess depression and mental health among adolescent and young females currently employed in a textile factory located in Tamil Nadu compared with past employees and women who have never been employed. This cross-sectional study included a total of 107 participants in each study group who were interviewed. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were administered to screen participants for depression and mental health. More current employees (16.82%) and past employees (15.88%) suffered from depression severe enough to require treatment compared with never employed girls and young women (2.8%). Of the study participants, 59.8% of current employees, 63.6% of past employees, and 32.7% of never employed women had mental health or behavior problems. In the regression model, history of abuse was significantly associated with depression. Participants who were current employees and reported family debt and a history of abuse were significantly more likely to have mental health or behavior problems. Mental health issues such as depression and behavior problems were more likely among adolescent girls currently employed in textile industries. Further studies into the causes of this phenomenon are needed.

Work related musculoskeletal disorders among adolescent girls and young women employees of textile industries in Tamil Nadu, India - a comparative study

Musculoskeletal disorders are common in those employed in the textile industry. The aim of the study is to assess musculoskeletal disorders among adolescent girls who are current employees of textile industries in comparison with the adolescent girls and young women who are past employees of textile industries and adolescent girls who have never been employed in the textile industry. Methodology This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 321 subjects, 107 in each study group were sampled. Standardized nordic questionnaires (SNQ) was used to assess musculoskeletal symptoms. Results More than half of the current employees (67.28%) and past employees (67.28%) reported musculoskeletal pain. Among the never been employed, 18.69% reported musculoskeletal pain. Neck and shoulder were the most common sites of musculoskeletal pain among the current employees (49.5% and 50.5%, respectively) and the past employees (45.8% and 49.5%, respectively). In the regression model, having ever been diagnosed for anemia (AOR 6.57, 95% CI 1.4 to 30.76), working for more than 48 h in a week (AOR 3.37, 95% CI 1.53 to 7.41) and the presence of depression (AOR 6.6, 95% CI 1.48 to 29.36) were significantly associated with the presence of musculoskeletal pain in the study participants. Conclusion Musculoskeletal disorders are a major occupational health problem among the adolescent and young women employees of textile industries. Working hours should be fixed at 48 h per week and anemia and depression should be treated to avert the work related musculoskeletal disorders in the study population.

[Environmental factors associated with textile industry in Democratic Republic of Congo: state of play]

Introduction

Ce travail vise à faire une évaluation des nuisances dans le milieu de travail du secteur textile en République Démocratique du Congo.

Méthodes

Nous avons effectué une étude transversale et analytique. Sur 257 travailleurs sélectionnés par échantillonnage systématique, 229 travailleurs ont été retenus. 223 postes de travail ont fait l'objet de mesures pour le bruit, l'éclairage, et la chaleur. Les informations recueillies l'ont été à partir de la consultation des documents de l'entreprise, de l'interrogatoire mené par questionnaire dirigé portant essentiellement sur les renseignements socio professionnels et par des mesurages. L'analyse descriptive a été faite pour les données sociodémographiques et professionnelles et l'approche analytique pour les mesurages.

Résultats

Dans cette entreprise 88% des travailleurs sont des ouvriers. Le département de tissage englobe presque 68% des travailleurs. La plupart travaillent en trois pauses (85%). La population d'étude est majoritairement masculine à 85%, vieillissante avec 52% de plus de 40 ans et instruite (80%). Dans l'entreprise, seuls 12,1 % des postes de travail respectent les normes en matière de bruit et 18 % des postes en matière d'éclairage. 94% des postes ne respectent pas les normes en matière de chaleur pour un travail lourd.

Conclusion

Notre étude a permis de mettre en évidence les nuisances au sein de l'industrie, montrant un écart important par rapport aux normes prescrites pour les nuisances mesurées. Ces résultats est un plaidoyer pour développer des mesures de prévention appropriées. Ils sont à confronter à ceux d'autres études plus approfondies dans ce milieu.

Effect of operating conditions on the performances of multichannel ceramic UF membranes for textile mercerization wastewater treatment

Textile wastewaters are rated as one of the most polluting in all industrial sectors, and membrane separation is the most promising technology for their treatment and reuse of auxiliary chemicals. This study evaluates the performance of three types of tubular ceramic ultrafiltration membranes differing by mean pore size (1, 2 and 500 kDa) treating textile mercerization wastewater from a textile mill at different operating conditions: cross-flow velocity (CFV) and temperature. Acceptable results were obtained with 1 kDa ceramic membrane, with rejection efficiencies 92% for suspended solids, 98% for turbidity, 98% for color and 53% for total organic carbon at 20°C and 3 m s^-1 CFV. Highest fouling effect was observed for 500 kDa membrane and lowest CFV. According to the observed results, 1 kDa membrane could be used for the treatment of wastewater from the textile mercerization process in terms of permeate quality.

A model of Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS) for promoting and controlling health and safety in textile industry

BACKGROUND

The development of Occupational Safety and Health Management System in textile industry will rejuvenate the workers and energize the economy as a whole. In India, especially in Tamil Nadu, approximately 1371 textile business is running with the help of 38,461 workers under Ginning, Spinning, Weaving, Garment and Dyeing sectors. Textile industry of contributes to the growth of Indian economy but it fails to foster education and health as key components of human development and help new democracies.

PURPOSE

The present work attempts to measure and develop OSHMS which reduce the hazards and risk involved in textile industry. Among all other industries textile industry is affected by enormous hazards and risk because of negligence by management and Government. It is evident that managements are not abiding by law when an accident has occurred. Managements are easily deceiving workers and least bothered about the Quality of Work Life (QWL).

METHODOLOGY

A detailed analysis of factors promoting safety and health to the workers has been done by performing confirmatory factor analysis, evaluating Risk Priority Number and the framework of OHMS has been conceptualized using Structural Equation Model. The data have been collected using questionnaire and interview method.

RESULT

The study finds occupation health for worker in Textile industry is affected not only by safety measure but also by technology and management.

CONCLUSION

The work shows that difficulty in identifying the cause and effect of hazards, the influence of management in controlling and promoting OSHMS under various dimensions. One startling fact is existence of very low and insignificance correlation between health factors and outcome.

Agreement of experts and non-experts in a desktop exercise evaluating exposure to asthmagens in the cotton and textile, and other industries

In the absence of personal exposure measurements, expert assessment, generally on a case-by-case basis, is often used to estimate exposures. However, the decision processes of individual experts when making assessments are unknown, making it difficult to assess the quality of these assessments or to compare different assessments to each other. We conducted a study in primarily the textile and cotton industries, but also in baking, metal work, and agriculture industries in which we assessed agreement between experts assessing intensity and probability of exposure in the absence of exposure measurements to compare how well their performance compares to agreement of non-desktop-based exercises reported in literature. In addition, agreement was compared with that of non-experts undertaking the same exercise, and results were further stratified to assess the impact of factors expected of affected assessments. Intraclass correlation coefficients of absolute agreement (ICC1) and consistency (ICC3) between raters were calculated. Sensitivity and specificity were estimated using a probabilistic simulation methodology developed previously. Fourteen occupational hygienists and exposure assessors with complete data for all 48 job descriptions and 8 non-experts participated. Although confidence intervals about correlation-coefficient differences are not reported, the individual limits were found to be so broad as to suggest that no statistically significant comparisons can be made. Nevertheless, preliminary observations are presented here as suggested by the computed means. Absolute agreement between expert raters was fair-good, but was somewhat better for intensity (ICC1 = 0.61) than for probability (ICC1 = 0.44) of exposure and was better for experts than non-experts. Estimated sensitivity was 0.95 and specificity 0.82 for intensity, and 0.91 and 0.78 for probability of exposure, respectively. Stratification for factors hypothesized to affect agreement did not show statistically significant differences, but consistent patterns of point estimates indicated that agreement between raters (both expert on non-experts) dropped for medium levels of information compared with little or extensive information. Inclusion of a photo or video generally improved agreement between experts but not between non-experts, whereas the year of the job description had no influence on the assessments. These data indicate that the desktop exposure assessment exercise was of similar quality to previously reported levels of agreement. Agreements between experts' assessments were independent of the time period of the job and can be improved by inclusion of visual material. Agreement between experts as well as the non-experts does not increase with the detail of provided job information.

Occupational exposure to magnetic fields and breast cancer among women textile workers in Shanghai, China

Exposure to magnetic fields (MFs) is hypothesized to increase the risk of breast cancer by reducing production of melatonin by the pineal gland. A nested case-cohort study was conducted to investigate the association between occupational exposure to MFs and the risk of breast cancer within a cohort of 267,400 female textile workers in Shanghai, China. The study included 1,687 incident breast cancer cases diagnosed from 1989 to 2000 and 4,702 noncases selected from the cohort. Subjects' complete work histories were linked to a job-exposure matrix developed specifically for the present study to estimate cumulative MF exposure. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using Cox proportional hazards modeling that was adapted for the case-cohort design. Hazard ratios were estimated in relation to cumulative exposure during a woman's entire working years. No association was observed between cumulative exposure to MFs and overall risk of breast cancer. The hazard ratio for the highest compared with the lowest quartile of cumulative exposure was 1.03 (95% confidence interval: 0.87, 1.21). Similar null findings were observed when exposures were lagged and stratified by age at breast cancer diagnosis. The findings do not support the hypothesis that MF exposure increases the risk of breast cancer.