<tideeAbstracts><tideeAbs><RefNo>2572</RefNo><PublishYear>2004</PublishYear><Contributors>Naik DP, Ushamalini, and Somashekar RK</Contributors><Affiliation>Bangalore University Bangalore-560056, India</Affiliation><Source><italic>Environmental Pollution Control Journal </italic><bold>7</bold>(5): 33–37</Source><Title>Air pollution and associated health effects in stone crushing industry: a case study in Bangalore district

TERI

TERI Information Digest on Energy and Environment

0972-6721

The Energy and Resources Institute

tidee-3-4-028

ABSTRACTS OF DISSERTATIONS OR ARTICLES

Health effects

122004

34489489

<tideeAbstracts><tideeAbs><RefNo>2572</RefNo><PublishYear>2004</PublishYear><Contributors>Naik DP, Ushamalini, and Somashekar RK</Contributors><Affiliation>Bangalore University Bangalore-560056, India</Affiliation><Source><italic>Environmental Pollution Control Journal </italic><bold>7</bold>(5): 33–37</Source><Title>Air pollution and associated health effects in stone crushing industry: a case study in Bangalore districtStone-crushing industry in India is basically a labour-intensive operation, which provides basic material for building constructions and contributes in a major way for other infrastructures of modern society. However, the various activities involved in stone-crushing industry viz, size reduction, size classification, and transfer operations have a high potential to emit fine airborne dust, which has adverse health impact potentials on the operating personnel, besides the general public. Personal air samplers were employed to quantify the total dust and respirable particulate matter (PM 2.5) in the working environment to which workers were exposed. Fine respirable particulate matter levels were found to be considerably high when compared with occupational safety and health standards. Health surveys, namely general clinical examination, pulmonary function test, blood sample test, and X-ray test, were conducted to assess the extent of health effects on workers. The study conclusively showed that many workers who have had a long-term exposure to various crushing activities were affected by respiratory health problems. X-ray tests revealed that 8% of the worker population showed radiological evidence of silicosis and hence appropriate remedial and preventive measures should be enforced at crushing sites for effective health and safety operations. (1 table, 5 references)