Alone or combined exposure to noise and dust on workers' blood pressure

Objective To understand the effects of alone and/or combined exposure to both noise and dust on workers' blood pressure.

Methods A total of 765 workers in a piano-made factory in Guangdong Province were studied. According to their exposure to occupational hazards, the workers were divided into reference group (group A, n=237), noise exposure group (group B, n=167), dust exposure group (group C, n=222) and combined noise and dust exposure group (group D, n=139), and the difference of their blood pressure was compared.

Results The data showed that there were no significant differences of their age, BMI index and physical exercise among 4 groups (P>0.05). However, the difference of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels was significant and the workers in group A had the lowest value (P < 0.05). The total prevalence of hypertension was 20.3% (155/765)and the prevalence of hypertension varied statistically among 4 groups (P < 0.01). The workers in group A had the lowest and the workers in group D had the highest. Multivariate logistic regression showed that noise exposure (OR=2.646), dust exposure (OR=1.713)and combined noise and dust exposure (OR=2.624) could increase the risk of hypertension (P < 0.01).

Conclusion Noise and dust exposure had certain adverse effects on both diastolic and systolic blood pressure of occupational population. Occupational workers combined exposed to noise and dust hazards may have a higher risk of developing hypertension than workers only exposed to dust.