Dust has nowadays become one of the major problems which threaten the health of populations, undermine the stability of affected ecosystems and consequently the renewal of biological, even mineral, natural resources. The most common respiratory illnesses and almost all common conditions are linked to occupational dust exposure in humans. The study, conducted in Porto-Novo, Benin, aims to assess the influence of the exposure of wood dust and cement on the ventilatory parameters of carpenters and masons. To achieve this objective, a functional exploration of the subjects' proximal and distal respiratory variables is carried out using the spirometer. The results show a significant decrease in the proximal and distal respiratory variables of subjects exposed to wood dust and that of cement on the one hand, and on the other hand, these parameters are significantly lower in carpenters compared to masons. These results therefore indicate that the dust of wood and that of cement would contain very harmful particles which migrate more quickly towards the lungs by inhalation. These particles cause inflammation of the mucous membranes of the trachea or bronchi and are responsible for damage to the respiratory tract and skin and cancers.
