The effect of exposure to sulfur dioxide gason bronchial hyperreactivity in apricot sulfurization workers

8-SUMMARY THE EFFECT OF EXPOSURE TO SULFUR DIOXIDE GAS ON BRONCHIAL HYPERREACTIVITY IN APRICOT SULFURIZATION WORKERS AIM: To evaluate the effect of sulfur dioxide gas on bronchial hyperreactivity in healthy apricot sulfurization workers in Malatya. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty healthy male apricot workers aged between 16- " 63 and a control group of 25 people were included in the study. One month before apricot sulfurization season, the demographic features, symptoms, history and habits of the cases were noted and physical examination, allergic tests, pulmonary function tests (PFT) and bronchial provocation tests (BPT) were performed. The workers were reevaluated at apricot harvest/reaping time and after sulfurization procedure/process. In this interview, the sulfurization process, the features of the sulfurization chamber and sypmtoms after the sulfurization process were asked to the workers and bronchial provocation tests were done again. Pulmonary function tests were performed in 10 randomly selected workers before and after entering the sulfurization chamber to evaluate the level of acute impact. RESULTS: Twenty-five male apricot workers aged between 16-63 (34,6 ± 14,2) were included in the study. Physical examination of all of the workers were noted as normal. Two (8%) of the workers were positive for skin tests while 23 (92%) were 45negative. There was no statistically significant decrease in PFT (FVC, FEVi, FEV//FVC, PEF, FEF25.75) results of the workers before and after the sulfurization period. Four (16%) out of 25 workers were positive for BPT before the period. There was one worker with negative BPT test result before the sulfurization period who had positive BPT result afterwards. PFT performed for ten workers in the area before and after exposure to SO2 gas yielded statistically significant decrease in all parameters except for FEVi/FVC. To demonstrate the chronic impact of exposure to SO2, the PFT results of the control group and the workers before exposure were compared, however there were no statistically significant differences. CONCLUSION: SO2 gas has an acute obstuctive effect on respiratory airways; no effect on bronchial hyperreactivity could be demonstrated. Key words: Bronchial hyperreactivity, bronchoprovocation, bronchoconstriction, sulfur dioxide gas 46