Lawin Herve, Fanou Lucie Ayi, Kpangon Arsene Amadohoue, Hinson Antoine Vikkey, Balmes John, Wanjiku Jacqueline, Ale Boni Maxime, Fayomi Benjamin
Unit of Teaching and Research in Occupational and Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
EcoHealth Chair, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Abomey Calavi, Cotonou, Benin.
Pan Afr Med J. 2018 Jun 12;30:113. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2018.30.113.14975. eCollection 2018.
Ambient air quality standards are not designed to protect people occupationally exposed to outdoor air pollution on a routine basis. This study aimed to assess the effect of exceeding the US ambient air quality standard for carbon monoxide (CO) on motorcycle taxi drivers respiratory health.
A cross-sectional study of 85 current motorcycle taxi drivers with at least 5 years of job tenure in Cotonou (Benin) was conducted. Personal CO was measured with a portable CO data logger for 8 hours per day during working hours. A questionnaire on respiratory symptoms was administered to participants and spirometry was performed. Participants were divided into two groups, those with exposure to CO >9 ppm and ≤9 ppm, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standard which is an 8-hour average of 9ppm. 8 and 10 ppm were also used an exposure limit. Analysis was done using these two groups.
Socio-demographic characteristics were well balanced between the two study groups. The drivers with a CO exposure of more than 9ppm had non-significantly more respiratory symptoms (OR=1.67; 95%CI:0.26,10.74), lower FVC and FEV1 compared to the less exposed group but they have a significant lower PEF (-10%, p=0.02). When we used an exposure limit of 8 or 10 ppm the results were not statistically different.
Drivers with a CO exposure >9 ppm tend to have more respiratory problems. More research is needed to reinforce this result in order to improve air quality standards to protect workers occupationally exposed to outdoor air pollution.
环境空气质量标准并非旨在保护日常职业性暴露于室外空气污染的人群。本研究旨在评估超过美国一氧化碳（CO）环境空气质量标准对摩托车出租车司机呼吸健康的影响。
对贝宁科托努85名在职至少5年的摩托车出租车司机进行了一项横断面研究。在工作时间内，使用便携式CO数据记录器每天测量个人CO暴露8小时。向参与者发放了一份关于呼吸道症状的问卷，并进行了肺活量测定。根据美国环境保护局（EPA）的国家环境空气质量标准（8小时平均值为9ppm），将参与者分为两组，即CO暴露>9 ppm组和≤9 ppm组。还使用8 ppm和10 ppm作为暴露限值。对这两组进行了分析。
两个研究组之间的社会人口统计学特征平衡良好。与暴露较少的组相比，CO暴露超过9ppm的司机呼吸道症状略多（OR = 1.67；95%CI：0.26,10.74），FVC和FEV1较低，但他们的PEF显著较低（-10%，p = 0.02）。当我们使用8 ppm或10 ppm的暴露限值时，结果无统计学差异。
CO暴露>9 ppm的司机往往有更多的呼吸问题。需要更多研究来强化这一结果，以改进空气质量标准，保护职业性暴露于室外空气污染的工人。
