In 1956, an epidemiological study in the cotton industry
in the UK documented the occurrence of respiratory
problems like byssinosis (Schilling, 1956) Worldwide,
India is the second largest producer of textile goods,
which account for 20% of the national industrial output.
Twenty million workers are employed in 1175 cotton mills
across the country, representing a major occupational
group (Datt and Sundaram, 1998). Exposure to cotton
dust has long been associated with adverse respiratory
effects and diminished lung function, which is most
evident as byssinosis, a chest tightness experienced by
workers on the first day back after a weekend or vacation
break (Schilling, 1956; Roach and Schilling, 1960 and