Byssinosis and chronic respiratory disease in U.S. cotton gins.

A pilot study of cotton gin workers was undertaken in the ginning industry so as to determine if a definitive study could be undertaken and to make some first order estimates of byssinosis and chronic respiratory disease and to compare the findings to those reported in the African and European gins. Baseline medical data were collected on 203 gin workers and 260 controls, consisting of a medical symptom questionnaire, a chest x-ray and the forced expiratory spirogram pulmonary test. Results revealed a prevalence of functional reactors equal to that found in the textile industry and other gin studies (44%) as determined by spirometric testing, without any association to smoking history. The major reaction group within the ginning population was those working in the baling press area. These same workers demonstrated evidence of chronic depressions in their spirometry data. No excess of chronic respiratory disease as determined by the questionnaire was detected within the gin worker population.