The major finding of this work is that the
lung function parameters, vital capacity and FEV1%,
were significantly lower in workers exposed to
cement dust compared to those unexposed. This
suggests that chronic cement dust exposure impairs
lung function. It agrees with the findings of Alakija
et al (1990) who first reported “Cement factory lung
disease” in Nigeria and those of others elsewhere
(Al-Neaimi et al, 2001; Meo et al, 2002). However
the forced vital capacity (FVC) and PEFR did not
differ significantly in the exposed group compared
to the unexposed. This underscores the importance
of using several indices of lung function in
comparative studies such as this