Respiratory symptoms, fractional exhaled nitric oxide & endotoxin exposure among female flower farm workers in Ethiopia

Table 3 Personal endotoxin exposure among female flower farm workers according to farm (I or II) and workstation (inside vs. outside greenhouse)

Farm ID	Workstation	Nw	Ns	Ns <LOD	Endotoxin (EU/m3)
Farm ID	Workstation	Nw	Ns	Ns <LOD	AM	Range ^a	GM (GSD)
Farm I	IGH	10	19	2	47.3	9.2 – 180	37.8 (2.0)*^b
	OGH	15	20	8	28.2	10.0– 64.6	22.9 (2.0)
	Total	25	39	10	37.5	9.2 – 180	29.2 (2.1)**^c
Farm II	IGH	12	19	8	24.9	8.7 – 60.9	18.9 (2.1)^ns,b
	OGH	9	17	9	17.1	9.1 – 34.7	15.8 (1.5)
	Total	21	36	17	21.3	8.7 – 60.9	17.3 (1.9)
Total	IGH	22	38	10	36.1	8.7 – 180	26.7 (2.2)*^b
	OGH	24	37	17	23.1	9.1 – 64.6	19.3 (1.8)
	Total	46	75	27	29.7	8.7 – 180	22.8 (2.1)

Independent sample t-tests were used to compare groups.
EU/m³: Endotoxin Units per cubic meter; Nw: Number of workers; Ns: Number of sample; <LOD: Below Limit of Detection; AM: Arithmetic Mean; GM: Geometric Mean; GSD: Geometric Standard Deviation; IGH: Inside Greenhouse; OGH: Outside Greenhouse (packhouse); **P < 0.01, *P < 0.05, ns = not significant, ^aThe lowest exposure in all subgroups are estimated values for results below LOD; ^bComparing samples inside and outside greenhouses; ^cComparing Farm I and Farm II.

ISSN: 1745-6673