Randhi Singh e al. The Impac o Occupa ional Cemen Dus Exposu e on Pulmona y Func ions o Cons uc ion
Labo e s: A C oss-Sec ional S udy. In . J Med. Pha m. Res., 6 (6): 335‐339, 2025
335
In e na ional Jou nal o Medical
and Pha maceu ical Resea ch
Online ISSN-2958-3683 | P in ISSN-2958-3675
F equency: Bi-Mon hly
A ailable online on: h ps://ijmp .in/
O iginal A icle
The Impac o Occupa ional Cemen Dus Exposu e on Pulmona y
Func ions o Cons uc ion Labo e s: A C oss-Sec ional S udy
Randhi Singh1, Ka i a Singh2, Nidhi Jain3, M idul Sha ma4
1 Associa e P o esso , Depa men o Physiology, SGRRIM & HS
2 Associa e P o esso , Depa men o Physiology, SGRRIM & H
3 P o esso , Depa men o Physiology, SGRRIM & HS, Deh adun
4 Resea ch Schola , SGRRIM & HS, Deh adun
A B S T R A C T
Co esponding Au ho :
Randhi Singh
Associa e P o esso ,
Depa men o Physiology,
SGRRIM & HS.
Recei ed: 17-09-2025
Accep ed: 29-10-2025
A ailable online: 12-11-2025
Cemen is he mos widely used cons uc ion ma e ial globally, ye p olonged
exposu e o cemen dus , long wo king hou s in dus y en i onmen s, and aging can
impai pulmona y unc ion. This s udy aimed o assess he associa ion be ween
cemen dus exposu e and lung unc ion among cons uc ion wo ke s, and o
e alua e he p e alence and se e i y o espi a o y symp oms ac oss di e en
exposu e ca ego ies.
Objec i es: The s udy aimed o de e mine he impac o cemen dus exposu e on
he pulmona y unc ions o cons uc ion labo e s.
Me hods: This desc ip i e c oss-sec ional s udy was conduc ed om Augus o
Oc obe 2025 among cons uc ion labo e s wo king a SGRRIMHS cons uc ion
si es, a e ob aining in o med consen and explaining he p ocedu es. Spi ome y
was pe o med using an RMS Helios701 spi ome e o measu e o ced i al
capaci y (FVC), o ced expi a o y olume in one second (FEV1), o ced expi a o y
low (FEF), minu e en ila ion olume (MVV), and peak expi a o y low a e
(PEFR). Da a we e en e ed in an MS Excel sp eadshee and analyzed in SPSS
e sion 21.
Resul s: In he p esen esea ch, he pulmona y unc ions we e assessed and
co ela ed among cons uc ion labo e s. This s udy has shown ha pulmona y
unc ion pa ame e s, such as Fo ced Vi al Capaci y (FVC), Fo ced Expi a o y
Volume in he 1s second (FEV1), he FEV1/FVC a io, Maximum Ven ila o y
Volume (MVV), and Peak Expi a o y Flow Ra e (PEFR), we e signi ican ly
dec eased in cons uc ion labo e s.
Conclusion: Wo king in dus y en i onmen s, along wi h o he isk ac o s in
cemen ac o ies, signi ican ly educes pulmona y unc ion pa ame e s.
Copy igh © In e na ional Jou nal o
Medical and Pha maceu ical Resea ch
Keywo ds: Cemen dus , Pulmona y and espi a o y symp oms,
Cons uc ion wo ke s.
INTRODUCTION
Eme ging e idence om bo h de eloped and de eloping coun ies sugges s ha occupa ional heal h haza ds and diseases
among cons uc ion wo ke s pose a signi ican public heal h challenge. Al hough occupa ional heal h haza ds and
condi ions in he cons uc ion sec o a e a ied, a g owing body o esea ch is ocusing on espi a o y heal h isks and
diseases. Howe e , a signi ican gap emains in he li e a u e ega ding comp ehensi e summa ies o exis ing e idence.
To add ess his gap, he p esen s udy sys ema ically e iewed global e idence on occupa ional heal h haza ds and
associa ed espi a o y condi ions among cons uc ion wo ke s. India anks as he wo ld’s second-la ges cemen
p oduce .[1] Cemen dus consis s o espi able pa icles wi h ae odynamic diame e s be ween 0.05 and 5 μm, allowing
hem o each and deposi in he al eoli.[3] When exposu e exceeds he capaci y o he body’s homeos a ic mechanisms, i
may cause a p og essi e decline in lung unc ion.[4] Occupa ional exposu es can gi e ise o a spec um o pulmona y
diseases— om ai way diso de s and in e s i ial lung condi ions o malignancies.[5] These wo k- ela ed lung diseases
Randhi Singh e al. The Impac o Occupa ional Cemen Dus Exposu e on Pulmona y Func ions o Cons uc ion
Labo e s: A C oss-Sec ional S udy. In . J Med. Pha m. Res., 6 (6): 335‐339, 2025
336
emain widely o e looked wo ldwide, especially in densely popula ed, esou ce-cons ained egions such as India.[6]
Al hough s udies ha e epo ed mixed e idence ega ding cemen dus ’s ole in espi a o y symp om de elopmen and
pulmona y unc ion decline. [2-6] Mos wo ke s emain in he uno ganized sec o , whe e egula medical sc eening is
in equen and bo h labou e s and heal h-ca e p o ide s o en lack su icien awa eness o occupa ional lung haza ds.[7]
The cons uc ion indus y exempli ies his challenge, wi h a po en ially high bu undiagnosed bu den o occupa ional lung
diseases. In de eloping economies like India, he sec o has wi nessed ema kable g ow h—expanding a 5.6% annually
be ween 2016 and 2020, compa ed o 2.9% du ing 2011–2015—and s ands as a majo sou ce o employmen .[8]
En i onmen al condi ions a cons uc ion si es—such as dus , umes, and o he espi able i i an s—inc ease wo ke s’
ulne abili y o espi a o y mo bidi y.[9][10] P olonged exposu e a cons uc ion si es o cemen dus , ino ganic espi a o y
alle gens, welding umes, and o he ai bo ne i i an s has been demons a ed o impai pulmona y unc ion.[11][12]
Addi ionally, employmen in he cons uc ion indus y is associa ed wi h a modes ly inc eased isk o lung cance . [13]
Cons uc ion is one o he s able g owing indus ies in he wo ld, including India. The isks associa ed wi h haza ds in he
cons uc ion indus y a e eigh imes g ea e han hose in he manu ac u ing sec o [14]. I is one o he labou -in ensi e
wo ks, and cons uc ion wo ke s pe o m high- isk wo k o meag e wages. Dus y asks such as ab asi e blas ing, emp ying
bags o cemen , cu ing wood, and mason y expose wo ke s o isk. Cons uc ion wo ke s ace nume ous isks bo h in hei
wo kplaces and in hei li ing en i onmen s. They a e exposed o physical, chemical, biological, e gonomic haza ds, and
en i onmen al and psychosocial isk, and he amoun o dus is gene a ed om he cons uc ion si es, including conc e e,
silica, asbes os, cemen , wood, s one, and sand, which leads o exposu e o wo ke s o ai bo ne dus .[15] In India,
occupa ional heal h was igno ed o a long ime, which was one o he componen s included in he Na ional Heal h Policy
1983. In he Na ional Heal h Policy 2002 and 2015, i is men ioned ha occupa ional heal h equi es g ea e emphasis [16].
Cu en ly, he e is e y limi ed da a on he p e alence o espi a o y diso de s among cons uc ion wo ke s in de eloping
coun ies like India. F om a ehabili a ion pe spec i e, i becomes impe a i e o highligh hese impai men s o app op ia e
p e en ion and in e en ion. Howe e , he labou e s' wo k is no conside ed signi ican , and hey a e supplied wi h a lack
o ameni ies.[17] This s udy aims o in es iga e he p e alence o espi a o y symp oms among cons uc ion wo ke s in
Deh adun, explo e he con ibu ing en i onmen al and occupa ional ac o s, and highligh he impo ance o p e en a i e
measu es o sa egua d he heal h o his ulne able g oup.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
I was a c oss‑sec ional obse a ional s udy conduc ed among cons uc ion labou e s wo king a di e en si es a Sh i Gu u
Ram Rai Ins i u e o Medical Sciences, Deh adun, U a akhand. The s udy popula ion comp ised cons uc ion labou e s
aged 18–60 yea s, including masons, cemen mixe s, plas e e s, conc e e wo ke s, ile se e s/g ou wo ke s, and demoli ion
wo ke s, who had wo ked in cemen -dus en i onmen s o a leas one yea and had no his o y o ch onic lung disease o
smoking, we e included in he s udy. The s udy excluded pa icipan s who we e cu en o o me smoke s and hose wi h
a known his o y o as hma, COPD, and ube culosis. Sample size was calcula ed by using he ‘Single P opo ion Sample
Size Fo mula’. Z = 1.96 (Z-sco e o 95% con idence le el), p = 0.5 (assumed p e alence o achie e he maximum equi ed
sample size), q = 1 - p = 0.5, d = 0.07 (ma gin o e o o absolu e p ecision), n = (1.96)^2 * 0.5 * 0.5 / (0.07)^2, n =
3.8416 * 0.25 / 0.0049, n = 0.9604 / 0.0049, n ≈ 196,n_adjus ed = n / (1 - ), - n = 196, = 10% = 0.10 and n adjus ed =
196 / 0.90 ≈ 217.78. A e ounding up, he inal adjus ed sample size equi ed is 218 pa icipan s. Cons uc ion wo ke s
we e ec ui ed om h ee cons uc ion si es in he ield p ac ice a ea o he ins i u ion, selec ed by con enience sampling.
S uc u ed ques ionnai e o collec in o ma ion ega ding espi a o y symp oms such as cough, b ea hlessness, and
wheezing. Pulmona y Func ion Tes s (PFTs), including: FVC (Fo ced Vi al Capaci y), FEV₁ (Fo ced Expi a o y Volume
in 1 second), FEV₁/FVC a io, PEFR (Peak Expi a o y Flow Ra e). Spi ome y o s udy pa icipa ion was done by a p e-
calib a ed Helios RMS 701 spi ome e . Weigh in kilog ams was measu ed by a weighing scale, Heigh in me e s was
measu ed by a s adiome e , and BMI was calcula ed simul aneously. Da a was hen abula ed and s a is ically analysed.
Da a was epo ed as mean and hei co esponding s anda d de ia ion (mean±SD). A p- alue o <0.05 was conside ed
signi ican (S), p<0.01 highly signi ican (HS), and p>0.05 as no signi ican (NS).
RESULTS
The p esen s udy includes 218 cons uc ion labou e s, who we e di ided in o 4 g oups depending on hei exposu e o
cemen . In he p esen s udy, he mean age(yea s), heigh (me es), weigh (kilog ams) and BMI(kg/m2) o cons uc ion
labou e s exposed o 1-3 yea s (n=52) was 32.96+6.4, 169.04+4.37, 69.84+5.84 and 24.45+2.12 espec i ely. In he
p esen s udy, he mean age(yea s), heigh (me es), weigh (kilog ams), and BMI(kg/m2) o cons uc ion labou e s exposed
o 4-6 yea s (n=50) we e 34.9+6.66, 169.12+5.43, 70.44+5.1, and 24.66+3.26 espec i ely. In he p esen s udy, he mean
age(yea s), heigh (me es), weigh (kilog ams) and BMI(kg/m2) o cons uc ion labou e s exposed o 7-9 yea s (n=60) was
35.3+6.72, 170.04+4.36, 70.8+8.52 and 24.50+3.01 espec i ely. In he p esen s udy, he mean age(yea s), heigh (me es),
weigh (kilog ams), and BMI(kg/m2) o cons uc ion labou e s exposed o >10 yea s (n=56) we e 35.6+5.63, 169.02+6.44,
69.08+8.12, and 24.20+4.12, espec i ely, as shown in Table I. The e is no signi ican di e ence in he age, heigh , weigh ,
and BMI among all 4 g oups in ou s udy. In he p esen s udy, he pulmona y unc ions we e assessed and co ela ed
among all ou 4g oups o cons uc ion labou e s on he basis o hei cemen dus exposu e and co ela ed wi h each o he .
The s udy has shown ha he pulmona y unc ion pa ame e s like he Fo ced Vi al Capaci y (FVC), Fo ced Expi a o y
Volume in he 1s second (FEV1), he a io o FEV1/FVC%, Peak Expi a o y Flow Ra e (PEFR), Maximum Ven ila o y
Randhi Singh e al. The Impac o Occupa ional Cemen Dus Exposu e on Pulmona y Func ions o Cons uc ion
Labo e s: A C oss-Sec ional S udy. In . J Med. Pha m. Res., 6 (6): 335‐339, 2025
337
olume (MVV we e signi ican ly dec eased wi h inc ease in he du a ion o exposu e o cemen dus in cons uc ion
labou e s excep o FEVI/FVC when compa ed wi h each o he as shown in able2. Long- e m exposu e o cemen dus
causes a decline in lung unc ion o cons uc ion wo ke s. Wo ke s exposed o o e a decade show signi ican lung
impai men , expe iencing a decline in key espi a o y measu es like o ced i al capaci y (FVC) and o ced expi a o y
olume in one second (FEV1). This also inc eases he likelihood o de eloping condi ions like ch onic b onchi is, a
pe sis en cough, and o he b ea hing p oblems.
Table 1: An h opome ic pa ame e s o he s udy g oup (n=218)
Pa ame e s
S udy g oup
Exposed o
1-3Yea
Exposed o
4-6 Yea s
Exposed o
7-9 Yea s
Exposed o >10
Yea s
Age (mean+SD)
32.96+6.4
34.9+6.66
35.3+6.72
35.6+5.63
Heigh (cms)
169.04+4.37
169.12+5.43
170.04+4.36
169.02+6.44
Weigh (kgs)
69.84+5.84
70.44+5.1
70.8+8.52
69.08+8.12
BMI
24.45+2.12
24.66+3.26
24.50+3.01
24.20+4.12
No. o wo ke s(n)
52
50
60
56
Table 2: Compa ing he e ec o du a ion o exposu e on pulmona y unc ion pa ame e s in all g oups o
cons uc ion labo e s by ANOVA.
Pa ame e s
S udy g oup
ANOVAs
- alue
P-Value
Exposed o
1-3Yea
(n=52)
Exposed o
4-6 Yea s
(n=50)
Exposed o
7-9 Yea s
(n=60)
Exposed o
>10 Yea s
(n=56)
FVC
3.09+0.18
3.01+0.11
2.61+0.21
2.42+0.22
38.5
0.000*
FEV1
2.59+0.29
2.48+0.12
2.19+0.20
2.15+0.25
24.1
0.000*
FEV1/FVC%
85.08+2.55
84.88+1.96
83.75+2.80
82.52+2.35
2.32
0.079**
PEFR
7.84+0.54
8.01+0.21
7.31+0.31
7.20+0.78
16.1
0.00*
MVV
123.1+8.2
120.6+4.19
109.78+5.64
110.9+5.61
27.7
0.00*
Signi ican educ ion in all pulmona y unc ion pa ame e s wi h he du a ion o exposu e, excep FEV1. No e: *p<0.05-
Signi ican ,**p>0.05-No signi ican
Figu e 1: An h opome ic pa ame e s o he s udy g oup (n=218)
Randhi Singh e al. The Impac o Occupa ional Cemen Dus Exposu e on Pulmona y Func ions o Cons uc ion
Labo e s: A C oss-Sec ional S udy. In . J Med. Pha m. Res., 6 (6): 335‐339, 2025
338
Figu e 2: Compa ing he e ec o du a ion o exposu e on Pulmona y unc ion pa ame e s in all g oups o cons uc ion
labo e s by ANOVA.
DISCUSSION
Long- e m exposu e o cemen dus , common in cons uc ion wo k, leads o a signi ican decline in lung unc ion. This
decline is di ec ly ela ed o he du a ion and le el o exposu e. The longe a wo ke is exposed, he mo e se e e hei
symp oms become, including a pe sis en cough, b ea hlessness, and an inc eased isk o ch onic b onchi is and sinusi is.
S udies consis en ly show ha wo ke s wi h o e en yea s o exposu e expe ience a signi ican educ ion in key espi a o y
measu es like Fo ced Vi al Capaci y (FVC), Fo ced Expi a o y Volume in one second (FEV1), and o he s. The p esence o
silica in he dus is a majo con ibu o o hese nega i e heal h e ec s. Deshmukh e al. [18] in hei s udy ound ha
espi a o y symp oms like cough we e he mos common symp om, which we e epo ed in 2/3 d o cons uc ion wo ke s
wo king in a cemen dus en i onmen . In ano he s udy by Kakooei e al, Ch onic exposu e o cemen dus was
signi ican ly associa ed wi h he high p e alence o cough, wheezing, and dyspnea among he cons uc ion wo ke s [20].
Some s udies documen ed a s a is ically signi ican educ ion in all Pulmona y Func ion Tes pa ame e s. In con as , some
documen ed a educ ion in selec ed pa ame e s, and only a ew o he s udies epo ed a educ ion in none. Ta akol e al.
in hei s udy ound ha exposu e o high amoun s o silica leads o a signi ican educ ion in pulmona y unc ion [21].
Linch KD in his s udy inds highe le els o espi able c ys alline silica in he ambien ai o cons uc ion si es.[22] Meije
e al and Ra eemanesh e al. [23 & 24] epo ed a s ong co ela ion be ween he du a ion o exposu e o cemen dus and
pulmona y unc ion decline. Ex ended exposu e o cemen dus among cons uc ion wo ke s esul s in a p og essi e and
s a is ically signi ican decline in espi a o y unc ion, inc easing he likelihood o de eloping bo h es ic i e and
obs uc i e lung diseases, pa icula ly a e a decade o employmen . To add ess hese isks, i is c ucial o implemen
wo kplace in e en ions such as enhanced p o ec i e measu es, egula job o a ion o educe exposu e du a ion, and
ou ine medical check-ups o moni o wo ke s’ heal h.
E hical app o al: App o ed by Sh i Gu u Ram Rai Ins i u e o Medical & Heal h Sciences (Re e ence no.
SGRR/IEC/17/25), and In o med consen was aken om all he pa icipan s.
Financial suppo and sponso ship: Nil.
Con lic s o in e es : The e a e no con lic s o in e es .
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