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ABSTRACT
Most of the Rice mills are found in local towns and villages in India. Post-harvest process of paddy especially de-husking is occupied
considerably important term of man power requirement. Assam has more than four thousand traditional rice mills where average 10 to 12
workers are working in every day and they are working 8 to 9 hour per day. Objective: This study aims to quantify the personal dust exposure to
the rice mill workers. Methods: Dust exposure to the workers at work site was measured at their breathing zone with the help of Respicon
Particle Sampler (RPS). In total, 93 workers participated in the experiments and 105 measurements were collected. Dust concentrations were
measured different section namely feeding, sieving, feeding-cum-sieving, polishing and packaging section. Results: The result indicated that
respirable and total dust concentrations were highest in sieving section compare to other sections with geometric mean (GM) 11.1 and 85.4
mg/m3 respectively. The respirable dust concentration followed by feeding, feeding-cum-sieving, polishing and packaging section sections were
varied 9.9 to 4.2 mg/m3 and the GM of total dust exposure in the packaging section is 39% lower than sieving section. It was observed that, there
is significant variation (p<0.05) of respirable dust exposure among different sections except feeding and feeding-cum-sieving sections. Also
found total dust concentration was positively correlated with respirable (R2=0.61), thoracic (R2=0.86) and inhalable dust (R2=0.94). Relative
humidity was negative correlation with respirable and total dust for rainy seasons; however, no correlation was found for non-rainy season.
Conclusion: This result is indicated higher level of respirable and total dust exposed in rice mill workers compare to permissible exposure limit
which is adversely effect on workers lung.
INTRODUCTION
Rice is the staple food for most of the population in India. It is the largest consumed calorie source among the food grains. Assam has
been ranked first in rice production around 51 lakh metric tons with productivity of 1969 kg per hectare in 2010-11 by the Union Agriculture
Ministry. Paddy milling is the process of removing the outer husks of rice grains which is also known as dehusking that can be found in local
towns and villages across the country. Paddy grain consists of husk with brown rice. Brown rice consists of bran which outer part of the rice and
the edible portion. Brown rice also called as whole grain rice. The rice milling operation is removal or separation of husk (de-husking) and bran
to obtain the edible portion for consumption. Milling is the process where as the paddy grain is converted into a suitable consumable form for
human. The post-harvest processing of paddy (milling) is the oldest and the largest agro-processing industry in Assam. Approximately, Assam
consists of 5560 rice mills which include 1363 modern and remaining traditional mills (Central Pollution Control Board, 2008). A large number
of workers are employed in the rice milling industry in the state. Rice mill workers are potentially exposed to organic and inorganic dusts that
may have adverse effects on respiratory health (Musa et al. 2000). Rice husk is known to have high silica content (Standards and Industrial
Research Institute of Malaysia, 1983). This biogenic silica may cause pulmonary disease resembling asbestosis, namely pleural thickening,
fibrosis and possibly bronchogenic carcinoma (Newman, 1986). Dust particles contain a wide range of sizes. The effect of these dust particles
when deposited into the body depends on the size shape nature of the particles. As per based on the dust particle sizes, it was divided into three
types (i) respirable fraction which is approximately 4 microns and less (ii) thoracic fraction where dust particle fraction is approximately 10
microns diameter and less and (iii) inhalable fraction made up of 100 microns diameter and less (TSI, 1999).
Selection of subjects
In the selected industries, 145 male and female workers were employed in different sections. Workers were requested to participate in
the study and written consent approved by the ethical committee of the NERIST from the workers was obtained. Very few workers declined the
request. In total, 93 workers participated in the experiments and 105 measurements were collected. Repeated samples were also collected from
12 workers. The workers who have minimum 1-year experience in selected task were considered for recruitment and age range of selected
subjects were 18-60 years. Distribution of workers and sample size in different sections in industries are given in Table 1. Dust concentration
was measured five different sections such as feeding, sieving, feeding-cum-sieving, polishing and packaging section. Range of average sampling
time was taken 4.76 - 5.88 hour.
Climatic parameters
Airborne dust particle in the atmosphere can also influence the Earths weather and climate (Brazel and Idso 1979).
Airborne dust absorbs sunlight and heats the atmosphere. Air velocity also affects to propagate the airborne dust particle but all the rice mills
were enclosed thus it was excluded from the study. The heating effect ripples through the atmosphere and affecting air temperatures as the dust
propagates. The climatic parameters such as temperature (0C) and relative humidity (%) were measured by Portable Thermal Environment and
Heat Stress Monitor (Make: Quest Technologies). These parameters were collected during dust measurement in the rice mill. Rice milling room
temperature and relative humidity were recorded in one hour interval. Average temperature and relative humidity of measured dust concentration
were calculated for that particular day. The view of climatic parameters measurement during dust collection in the rice mill is shown in Fig. 2.
Figure 2. Climatic parameters measurement during dust collection in the rice mill
Analysis of data
Dust concentration of respirable, thoracic and inhalable fractions of individual measurement was calculated using Respicon
data software of TSI USA. For calculation of the total dust concentration were carried out using summation of respirable, thoracic and inhalable
dust through Data Spread sheet (TSI, USA). The statistical analysis and graph formation were done using IBM SPSS version 22 and Microsoft
excel. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out for different sections of rice mill dust and it is presented as arithmetic mean (AM),
geometric mean (GM) and geometric standard deviation (GSD). The geometric standard deviation (GSD) was calculated by exponentiation of
the standard deviation (SD) of the log-transformed exposure data. The distributions of exposure data were examined upon normality by Shapiro-
Wilk test. Since the distribution of all exposure variables differed significantly (p<0.05) from the normal distribution except respirable duct
concentration (p>0.05). The data were evaluated for each activity of personal dust exposure between different sections of rice mill and p-values
for Kruskal-Wallis tests. Differences in rice dust exposure between winter and rainy/autumn of personal dust exposure (mg/m3) and p-values
from independent-sample t-test in different seasons. The correlation between total dust and different fractions of dust was calculated by scatter
plots. Effect of dust exposure on rice mill in different seasons also calculated for the independent climatic parameters such as temperature and
relative humidity by the correlation. Descriptive statistical analysis was done for measured climatic parameters by Kruskal-Wallis tests.
Traditional threshing method performed by the local farmers with minimal use of machines does not remove impurities very well. The
raw paddy received by the mills commonly contains fine dust (airborne dust particles) and long fibers shaped particles carried from paddy fields.
This fine dust includes partly the soil contents in which the paddy was grown and other fine particles. Fine dust is generated during paddy bag
opening (feeding section), cleaning the impurities or small unwanted particles by sieve (sieving section).
The respirable dust concentration was found more than the recommended limit of 5 mg/m3 (OSHA, 1990) in all sections except
packaging. Few studies (Ghosh et al. 1997; Dewangan and patil 2015; Desai and Ghosh, 2003) have been carried out to measure personal dust
exposures in rice mill in India. Desai and Ghosh, (2003) reported that highest dust level was observed in the rice mill workplace up to 80.7
mg/m3. Ghosh et al. (1997) reported that the concentrations of total airborne aflatoxin in the respirable dusts were 26 pg/m3 and 19 pg/m3,
respectively, for the workplace and the storage area of the rice mill. It was considered that, respirable dust samples size was <7 m and the total
dust samples size was >7 m whereas the present study corresponding values were <4 m and >4 m.
Several studies (Dewangan and patil 2015; Fulenkar 1999; Halstensen et al. 2013) have reported relatively huge variations in the dust
emissions in different industries. Simpson et al. (1999) reported that the highest dust exposures occurred during cleaning activities such as grain
handling (72.5 mg/m3). The respirable dust concentration at feeding-cum-sieving section is 9-11 mg/m3 which is much higher than the
recommended value (5 mg/m3) (SNBOSH 1991). Dewangan and Patil (2015) also reported the total and respirable dust 81.05 and 8.22 mg/m3
for the rice mills.
The statistical comparison of geometrical mean of the measured personal dust exposure at different sections of rice mill was carried
out and presented in Table 3. It was observed that, there is significant variation of respirable dust exposure among different sections except
feeding and feeding-cum-sieving sections. No significant variation of thoracic, inhalable and total dust exposure were found in feeding with
sieving sections, sieving with feeding-cum-sieving, feeding with feeding-cum-sieving and polishing with packaging.
Desai and Ghosh, (2003) compared workplace in rice mill with store and control site. It was reported that both total and respirable
dusts concentrations were significantly greater (p<0.01) at the work place sites in comparison to control site. High concentration of airborne total
dust was also found in the store in comparison to control (p<0.05). Very few studies are available to compare the present study. Comparison is
meant to show how far Indian industries lagging to protect the workers. In one of the British studies cited in risk assessment document for flour
dust prepared by the health and safety executive, it was found that 20% of mill workers were exposed to the levels of inhalable flour dust
exceeding 10 mg/m3 (Karpinski, 2003).
Feeding and sieving 2.30 <0.001 0.71 0.90 3.09 0.49 6.0 0.51
Sieving and feeding-cum- 1.70 <0.05 0.58 0.72 3.66 0.32 5.98 0.29
sieving
Feeding and Feeding-cum- 0.61 0.53 0.12 0.72 0.56 0.82 5.98 0.79
sieving
Feeding and polishing 3.35 <0.001 6.08 <0.001 11.61 <0.001 26.72 <0.001
Sieving and packaging 7.18 <0.001 8.65 <0.001 17.46 <0.001 33.05 <0.001
Sieving and polishing 5.65 <0.001 6.79 <0.001 14.7 <0.001 26.73 <0.001
Feeding and polishing 3.35 <0.001 6.08 <0.001 11.61 <0.001 20.72 <0.001
Polishing and feeding- 3.95 <0.001 6.21 <0.05 11.04 <0.001 20.74 <0.001
cum-sieving
Packaging and feeding- 5.49 <0.001 8.07 <0.001 13.81 <0.001 27.08 <0.001
cum-sieving
Polishing and packaging 1.53 <0.05 1.86 0.325 2.77 0.173 6.33 0.105
The relation of respirable dust with inhalable and thoracic is also presented by Fig. 4. It was observed that less correlation was found
with thoracic (R2<0.50) and inhalable dust (R2<0.50). Scatter plot between thoracic and inhalable is also shown in Fig. 5. It is evident that there
is a positive correlation between thoracic and inhalable fraction of dust (r = 0.84).
Figure 4. Relation of respirable dust with thoracic and inhalable fractions of dust
Table 4. Temperature and relative humidity for rainy and non-rainy season
Seasons Temperature, 0C p-value Relative humidity, % p-value
AM GM (GSD) AM GM (GSD)
Rainy 26.8 26.7(1.08) <0.001 77.5 77.2(1.10) <0.001
Non-rainy 18.2 18.1(1.12) 69.1 68.9(1.07)
Agricultural products are hygroscopic in nature and thus absorb moisture from the air. Warm and humid climate of the region provides
favourable environment for growth and proliferation of microorganism. Older seeds are rusted by insects, pests, and fungus owing to poor
storage and thus emit higher dust. Furthermore, abrasion of seeds during handling produces fine dust. Tabak et al. (2002) also observed the
effect of humidity in the cotton dust concentration in the cottonseed oil mills and reported that low humidity of the cottonseeds may lead to
higher dust concentrations.
Table 5. Means of dust exposure in rainy and non-rainy season with p-values
Respirable (mg/m3) Thoracic (mg/m3) Inhalable (mg/m3) Total (mg/m3)
p-value
p-value
p-value
p-value
Season (N) GM GM GM GM
AM AM AM AM
(GSD) (GSD) (GSD) (GSD)
<0.001
<0.001
<0.001
Correlations between of respirable and total dust fraction with relative humidity in rainy and non-rainy seasons are shown in Figs. 6 and 7,
respectively. It is evident that relative humidity has negative correlation with respirable dust for rainy seasons; however, no correlation was
found for non-rainy season. Further, relative humidity with total dust exposure was found negative correlation in rainy seasons but no correlation
was found in non-rainy season.
CONCLUSIONS
Maximum dust concentration was observed at sieving section followed by feeding, polishing and packaging section. The respirable
dust concentration was observed more than the recommended limit of 5 mg/m3 at all section except packaging. Significant variation was found
of respirable dust exposure among different sections of rice mill except between feeding and feeding-cum-sieving sections. Also positive
correlation was observed for respirable, thoracic and inhalable dust with total dust. Relative humidity was negative correlation with respirable
and total dust for rainy seasons; however, no correlation was found for non-rainy season.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Authors acknowledge the ICAR, New Delhi for providing financial support to carry out this study. Further, authors are very much thankful to
Dr. L. P. Gite (former) and Dr. K. N. Agrawal, Project Coordinator All India Coordinate Research Project on Ergonomics and Safety in
Agriculture for his valuable suggestions during the study.
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