Noweir M H, el-Sadik Y M, el-Dakhakhny A A, Osman H A
Br J Ind Med. 1975 May;32(2):147-54. doi: 10.1136/oem.32.2.147.
Manual flax processing originated in Egypt in 2 000 BC. In the present study a representative sample of the workers involved in this trade, where flax is processed in small workshops or homes, was examined, and their dust exposure was evaluated. The study showed that workers handling and processing flax are exposed to high concentrations of dust; the levels of dust at hackling and combing are considerably higher than at batting and spinning. Byssinosis prevailed in 22-9% of the examined workers, and 18-4% of them had their forced expiratory volume in one second reduced by more than 10% at the end of the first morning work period (4 hours) of the week. Both the rates and the grades of these syndromes increased with duration of exposure. Smoking appeared to be one of the important contributory factors in the production of byssinosis. The relationship between dust concentration and prevalence of byssinosis seems to be curvilinear.
亚麻手工加工起源于公元前2000年的埃及。在本研究中，对从事该行业（在小作坊或家中加工亚麻）的工人的一个代表性样本进行了检查，并评估了他们的粉尘暴露情况。研究表明，处理和加工亚麻的工人暴露于高浓度粉尘中；在梳理和精梳阶段的粉尘水平明显高于打棉和纺纱阶段。在所检查的工人中，棉尘病患病率为22.9%，其中18.4%的人在一周第一个上午工作时段（4小时）结束时，一秒用力呼气量减少超过10%。这些综合征的发生率和严重程度均随暴露时间的延长而增加。吸烟似乎是棉尘病发生的重要促成因素之一。粉尘浓度与棉尘病患病率之间的关系似乎呈曲线关系。
