Observed and predicted silicosis risks in heavy clay workers
| Autor: | C A Soutar, Brian G. Miller |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2007 |
| Předmět: |
Male
medicine.medical_specialty Silicosis Occupational disease Air Pollutants Occupational Mining Occupational medicine Statistical variability Occupational Exposure Environmental health medicine Humans business.industry Pneumoconiosis Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Dust Silicon Dioxide medicine.disease Predictive factor Occupational Diseases Mining industry Scotland Lung disease Clay Aluminum Silicates Epidemiologic Methods business |
| Zdroj: | Occupational Medicine. 57:569-574 |
| ISSN: | 1471-8405 0962-7480 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/occmed/kqm080 |
| Popis: | Background There is increasing pressure to tighten the regulation of workers' exposures to airborne silica, which can lead to severe and in some cases rapid development of disease. However, estimated risks from respirable silica vary greatly across industries. Aim To clarify differences in risks between workers in the heavy clay and coal industries with documented exposures to respirable silica, in order to assist decisions on whether further investigation of possible differences might be justified. Methods We applied a published equation for radiological risks from exposure to respirable silica, from a study of Scottish coalworkers (with unusually high exposures) to exposure estimates from an epidemiological study of heavy clay workers, by the same research team and using similar methods. Results The equation based on coalworkers' risks predicted in the heavy clay workers 31 cases of abnormalities at grade 2/1+ on the International Labour Organization scale, greatly in excess of the eight cases observed. Statistical variation is an implausible explanation (P < 0.0001). Conclusions While there were some methodological differences between the studies, the disparity in risks provides some support for the case for further investigation of possible differences. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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