COAL DUST IMPACT AND THE PRESENCE OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE IN EXPOSED WORKERS IN KOSOVO POWER PLANT

Sanije Shala-Xhemajli, Kastriot Haxhirexha

Abstract

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a condition that is characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible and worsens with time. Worldwide, cigarette smoking is the most commonly encountered risk factor for COPD, although in many countries, air pollution resulting coal dust or from the burning of wood and other biomass fuels has also been identified as a COPD risk factor. COPD is a heterogeneous disorder that encompasses traditional clinical entities such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis (S Drivas et al., 2007, BJ Make, et al., 2010). The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease-GOLD (JB Soriano et al., 2017) a collaborative effort from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the National Institutes of Health; and the World Health Organization, defines COPD as a usually progressive disease with airflow limitation / progressive dispnoea/ that is not fully reversible and associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles or gases.Patients with COPD present with a variety of clinical findings, including elements of chronic bronchitis and emphysema (RJ Halbert et al., 2003, R Perez Padilla et al., 2005, KR Chapman et al., 2006 ). Although COPD and asthma are both associated with airflow obstruction and inflammation of the lung and airways, asthma-related airflow obstruction is more reversible and the disease course is more variable than with COPD (AD Lopez et al., 2006, As Buist et al., 2007, TJ Wilt et al., 2005) Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study is to determine the role and relationship between occupational coal dust exposure and the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease /COPD/ in exposed workers. This study is done in the Institute of Occupational health in Obiliq, Kosovo.

Pages: 166 - 175