Sputum eosinophilia, recorded in a large number of landfill workers, could partially explain cough because sputum eosinophil counts of 43% are usually associated with eosinophilic bronchitis, wheeze and chronic cough (Ayik et al., 2003). The observed neutrophilia and eosinophilia could also be linked to lung function decrement because an inverse relationship exists between FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio and