Journal of Environmental Biology

Dust exposures in tractor and combine operations in eastern  Mediterranean, Turkey

 

Ali Aybek and Selcuk Arslan*

*sarslan@ksu.edu.tr

Department of Agricultural Machinery, College of Agriculture, Kahramanmaras Sutcuimam University,

Kahramanmaras-46060, Turkey

(Received: January 10, 2006 ; Revised received: September 12, 2006; Accepted: October 20, 2006)

Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the dust concentrations in selected tractor and combine operations in eastern Mediterranean region in Turkey. Mean dust concentrations were 137.9 mg m^-3, 83.6 mg m^-3, 80.3 mg m^-3, and 88.8 mg m^-3 respectively for soil packing, furrowing, straw making, and baling on tractors with no cabins whereas 106.9 mg m^-3 was found in combines without cabins, which are much higher than the limit dust concentration (10 mg m^-3) considered hazardous for workers’ health. In tractor operations with field-installed cabins, mean dust concentrations were 5.6 mg m^-3, 6.6 mg m^-3, 6.4 mg m^-3, and 3.7 mg m^-3, respectively in soil packing, furrowing, straw making, and baling while 4.7 mg m^-3 was measured in combines with field-installed cabins.  Considering  unit-manufactured  cabins, mean dust  concentrations  were 1.1 mg m^-3,  1.6 mg m^-3,  3.2 mg m^-3, and 1.4 mg m^-3 respectively in tractor operations, and 1.4 mg m^-3 in combine operations. Variance analyses showed that not only the respiration environment of the workers but also the field operation had a significant effect on measured dust concentrations (p<0.01). Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.74 (very strong level) between dust concentration and wind speed in soil packing, 0.46 (medium level) between dust concentration and wind speed in baling, and 0.44 (medium level) between dust concentration and ground speed in combining.

Key words:   Dust exposure, Dust measurements, Tractors, Combines, Turkey

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