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Occupational exposure to hop dust associated with respiratory disease

Occupational exposure to hop dust had a strong association with respiratory disease in hop workers when compared with agricultural workers, recent study data suggested.

Researchers systematically reviewed Washington state workers’ compensation claims filed by hop workers for respiratory disease and compared their incidence rates with those of field vegetable crop farm workers.

Fifty-seven cases of respiratory disease associated with hop dust inhalation were reported from 1995 to 2011. Sixty-one percent of cases were diagnosed as having work-related asthma, 18% as allergic or other respiratory disorders (eg, allergic rhinitis), 14% associated with asthma or respiratory distress and 7% diagnosed as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Hop harvesting, secondary hop harvesting and indirect exposure were associated with the cases. Hop workers had an incidence rate of respiratory disease of 15 cases per 10,000 full-time workers, which was 30 times greater than that of vegetable crop workers.

“A strong temporal association between hop dust exposure and respiratory symptoms and a clear association between an increase in hop dust concentrations and the clinical onset of symptoms was apparent in three cases,” the researchers wrote.

“Occupational exposure to hop dust likely causes respiratory disease,” the researchers concluded. “Additional research is needed before hop dust can be confirmed as a causative agent for occupational asthma.

“Further characterization of hop dust allergen(s), dust exposure in hop harvest and processing, and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in workers is needed to develop effective disease prevention strategies.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no financial relevant disclosures.