Evaluation of the rate of occupational exposure to wheat flour dust in wheat flour mill factories in Hamedan

Wheat flour is a complex organic particle containing an array of different allergic and antigenic components. Exposure to flour dust may result in a variety of respiratory problems such as allergic responses, occupational asthma and allergic rhinitis. The aim of the present study was to assess the concentration of inhalable dust and gliadin of flour dust as an important wheat flour allergen and to determine the relationship between concentrations of flour dust and that of gliadin in the air breathed by the workers in different workstations of wheat flour mill factories. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. 64 air samples were collected by means of universal air sampling pumps. Inhalable flour dust density was measured by gravimetric method and flour dust gliadin concentration was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mean flour dust density was higher than that of permissible limit in all wheat flour mill factories (1.64 4.68 mg/m3) and showed a significant positive relation with gliadin concentration (R2 = 0.708, p<0.05) in all factories. In addition, Inhalable dust density and gliadin concentration have been different in different stations of the factories and were highest in flour packing workstation. This study revealed the density of Inhalable flour dust had been higher than the level of permissible limit (0.5 gr/m3) and the workers in Hamadan flour mills are exposed to a dangerous level of flour dust, and inhale a high level of gliadin in all flour packing unites of the factories in Hamedan.