Gerringer describes how after the textile mills installed air conditioning, they closed up the windows that had previously been used to help with air circulation. According to Gerringer, the work rooms were filled with dust and many workers had lung problems as a result. Gerringer never experienced any health problems resulting from her fifty years of working in the mill, but she describes the problems of a neighbor who had also worked in the mills. Moreover, all of her children, who began working in the mills as teenagers, were beginning to experience health problems, such as emphysema. Her comments here are indicative of some serious health implications of work in the textile industry.