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Abstract

Wastewater treatment facilities are important sources of occupational exposure to dangerous air pollutants, such as particulate matter and toxic gases, which can have a detrimental effect on employees' respiratory health. Lung function may be compromised by prolonged exposure, especially in uncontrolled settings. However, there isn't much information about these dangers in Iraq. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of the air and compare lung function-based diagnoses and related risk factors across workers who were heavily and slightly exposed. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 108 employees of Al-Diwaniyah's sewer networks and wastewater treatment facilities participated. participants were split into two groups: administrative and laboratory personnel with partial exposure and highly exposed field workers. The Horiba PG-350 instrument was used to measure air pollutants. A standardized questionnaire was used to gather data, spirometry was used to evaluate lung function, and respiratory experts verified the diagnoses. Air pollutant concentrations were significantly higher in outdoor plant areas than indoors (P < 0.01). CH4 was 4.16 versus 0.87 ppm, CO was 3.64 versus 0.77 ppm, and H2S was 9.60 ppm outside compared to 5.35 ppm indoors. Outside, particulate matter levels were also higher, with PM10 at 237 compared to 118 and PM2.5 at 141 compared to 74. Despite these variations, both groups had comparable rates of obstructive pulmonary dysfunction (about 60%).Lung function impairment was substantially correlated with the length of passive smoking, the number of working days per week, and having a second job (P < 0.05). These results highlight the need for better environmental controls, occupational safety measures, and routine health monitoring because they show that wastewater workers are at risk regardless of exposure amount.

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