Work exposure risk
29 November 2006

Exposure to certain types of surface materials at work increases the risk of developing asthma, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Helsinki, Finland, compared 521 newly diagnosed adults with asthma over a two-and-a-half-year period with a control group of 932 adults without asthma. They were asked about the interior surface they were exposed to at home and at work, as well as whether they had renovated their homes over the past year.

The researchers found that exposure to plastic wall coverings at work more than doubled the risk of developing asthma, while people who worked in offices with wall-to-wall carpeting were over 70% more likely to develop the condition.

When mould problems were present at a person's workplace, along with wall-to-wall carpeting, the risk of developing asthma more than quadrupled.

Home renovation had no association with asthma risk, but researchers found that people living in homes where plaster had been used to level floors were 80% more likely to develop asthma.

‘Our study provides new evidence that both plastic and textile surface materials in workplace indoor environments may play a role in the causation of asthma in adulthood,’ concluded lead researcher, Dr Jouni J K Jaakkola.

‘Hopefully this study will help to raise awareness that people should not only attend to their homes but also their work environment when trying to keep healthy,’ said Erica Evans, Asthma UK’s Care Development Manager. 'It should also have significance for employers in encouraging them to be responsible for their employees health.'