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Dust entry

Hemp dust

Vegetable-fiber dust generated during hemp processing and textile work.

Airborne form

fiber

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

chronic respiratory disease concernreduced ventilatory capacityairway irritationoccupational lung disease concern

Evidence

A NIOSH-indexed study found higher chronic respiratory-symptom prevalence in hemp workers than controls, high byssinosis prevalence in both female mills and male workers, and significant across-shift reductions in ventilatory capacity.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 1 · Abstract · 1
A significantly higher prevalence of almost all chronic respiratory symptoms was found in female hemp workers when compared to control workers. ... A high prevalence of byssinosis was found among female hemp workers in both mills (group A, 47-8%; group B, 57-9%) as well as in the male workers (66 7%). Statistically significant across shift reductions in lung function were found for all ventilatory capacity measurements in female and male hemp workers.

The WHO/NIOSH monograph distinguishes vegetable-fiber dust effects by material and notes that byssinosis has been described among workers processing soft hemp, while jute evidence indicates airway obstruction without byssinosis.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 8 · Byssinosis; Epidemiology · 1
Byssinosis has been described in many countries producing and/or processing cotton, flax and soft hemp.

The NIOSH-indexed hemp-worker study reports significantly higher chronic respiratory symptoms than in controls, high byssinosis prevalence, and significant across-shift reductions in ventilatory capacity.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 1 · Abstract · 1
A significantly higher prevalence of almost all chronic respiratory symptoms was found in female hemp workers when compared to control workers. ... A high prevalence of byssinosis was found ... Statistically significant across shift reductions in lung function were found for all ventilatory capacity measurements.

Controls