SPIROMETRIC EVALUATION OF TRAFFIC POLICE PERSONNEL EXPOSED TO AUTOMOBILE POLLUTION IN TWIN CITIES OF HYDERABAD AND SECUNDERABAD*

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1 Short Communication Ind.J. Tub., 1999,46,129 SPIROMETRIC EVALUATION OF TRAFFIC POLICE PERSONNEL EXPOSED TO AUTOMOBILE POLLUTION IN TWIN CITIES OF HYDERABAD AND SECUNDERABAD* G. Thippanna 1 and Sudeep Lakhtakia 1 Hyderabad is one of the rapidly growing metropolitan cities of India. The growth is associated with an enormous increase in vehicular traffic emitting exhausts and polluting the atmosphere. The main city has no industries which can be blamed for air pollution in the city. It may be presumed that city pollution is entirely due to automobile exhausts. In order to study the health hazards of automobile exhausts on human systems, especially respiratory system, the section of the population considered most suitable for study was the traffic police personnel who are posted at various traffic junctions through which maximum number of vehicles pass, The study was jointly carried out by the authors at the Government General and Chest Hospital, Hyderabad by a team consisting of assistant professors, post graduates and nursing staff working in the Department of Chest Medicine between 9th May, 1997 and 20th July, During the study period the number of vehicles of different types in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad was as follows : Two wheelers 6,78,269 Three wheelers 37,028 Four wheelers 84,535 RTC buses 2,100 Lorries 17,114 Light motor vehicles 19,578 Others 3,402 Total 8,42,026 The traffic constables were brought in batches to our Hospital. The study was conducted with a modified protocol of B.M.R.C. wherein detailed clinical history, thorough physical examination, routine haemotological and urine examination, a chest X-ray and spirometry (lung function testing) with ultra-modern Morgan's lung testing machine were done. In all, 665 male traffic police constable were investigated, mainly from 4 places in the city where traffic congestion is very high and where levels of air quality indicators are available with Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (A.P.P.C.B.). The objectives of the study were : (1) To evaluate the deviations from normal lung function (2) To correlate spirometric abnormalities with levels of air quality estimations at various traffic junctions by the Pollution Control Board of Hyderabad (3) To investigate whether personal habits and work experiences of the constables had any relation with observed lung dysfunctions. RESULTS The constables studied were divided into 3 groups according to their complaints : Gr. I - respiratory symptoms like cough, tightness of chest, difficulty in breathing, nasal allergies etc; Gr. II - Non-respiratory symptoms like acid peptic disease (APD), burning sensation in eyes, joint pains etc. and Gr. III - No complaints. (Graphs I and II). In all, 54.4% of the constables were having * Paper presented at the 52nd National Confeience on Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases, Ahmedabad, December, I. Professor and Head of Department, 2. Deputy Commissioner, Police (Traffic) Correspondence: Dr G. Thippanna, M.D. Government General and Chest Hospital, Irrumnuma, Hyderabad.

2 130 G. THIPPANNA AND S. LAKHTAKIA Graph II. Distribution of complaints in relation to length of exposure one or other health problem among which respiratory symptoms were more common. In Graph II, the symptoms are correlated with the number of years of exposure (service) to automobile exhaust. Those with less than five years of exposure had mainly complaints of irritating cough and tightness of chest. As age and exposure increased (more than 5 years of service), symptoms like allergies, difficulty in breathing (SOB), APD, increasing cough and tightness of chest and joint pains were experienced. The percentage of smokers was 42.5%. The habit of smoking was less common in the younger age group. The forced expiratory flow rate (FEF 25-75) indicates early small airway obstruction which leads to greater ventilatory defects. In our study, FEF (25-75) was found more common among smokers and Graph IV. Distribution of FVC according to place of work in them it could be related to amount and number of years of smoking. Graph Ifl gives the distribution of spirometric (lung function) abnormalities according to values of forced vital capacity (FVC) observed. FVC depends upon age, sex, height and weight of an individual. The normal is taken as 70% of the predicted value according to age, sex, height and weight; less than 50% is taken as severe King function defect (restrictive ventilatory defect), 50-60% as moderate and 60-70% as mild defect. Accordingly, 0.9% of the constables were found to be having severe restrictive ventilatory defect, 5.9% having moderate and 18.6% having mild degree of respiratory restriction. The changes in FVC were also correlated with their place of work whereof the ambient

3 TRAFFIC POLICE AND AUTOMOBILE POLLUTION 131 levels of SO 2 and SFM (suspended participate matter) were available from A.RP.C.B. as well as with the levels of air quality (Graph IV). In our study the Punjagutta and Abids areas showed severer ventilatory defect than the other areas i.e. Secunderabad and Charminar. We presume that the higher levels of pollution at Abids and Punjagutta were due to greater vehicular density. CONCLUSIONS From this study definite conclusions and recommendations cannot be derived for lack of a control group. However, it does appear that traffic police constables are a high risk group in the population who are very likely to develop respiratory dysfunction from automobile exhaust emissions. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to acknowledge the kind cooperation extended by A.P. Pollution Control Board, the Computer Section of the Administrative Staff College and, especially, traffic police constables and their officials.

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5 The Tuberculosis Association of India 3, Red Cross Road, New Delhi TB patients should take the medicines regularly, in prescribed dose and as long as the doctor advises. They should visit the doctor for check-up and assessment as and when called. The medicines are supplied to the patients free in primary health centre. Government hospitals and TB Clinics. Patients who take medicines regularly do not pose and danger to their family and therefore, isolation is not necessary. Do remember the tuberculosis stricken brethren during the festivals by buying TB Seals A TB Seal Costs Rs. Two Oily Donate generously: Donations to the Tuberculosis Association of India are exempt from payment of Income Tax under Section 80-G of Income Tax Act, Educate people about causation and prevention of TUBERCULOSIS Courtesy space: M/s. Tata Hydro Electric Power Supply Company Limited, Mumbai