An old threat in a new setting: High prevalence of silicosis among jewelry workers
| Autor: | Domenico Sallese, Alberto Zingarelli, M. P. Accattoli, Giuseppe Abbritti, Marco Dell'Omo, Nicola Murgia, Margherita Rossi, Cesario Ciccotosto, Paola Scatolini, Daniela Melchiorri, Giacomo Muzi |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2007 |
| Předmět: |
Spirometry
Adult Male medicine.medical_specialty Silicosis Occupational disease Pulmonary function testing NO Diffusing capacity Forced Expiratory Volume Occupational Exposure Surveys and Questionnaires Prevalence Medicine Humans Lung volumes Lung medicine.diagnostic_test business.industry Pneumoconiosis Total Lung Capacity Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Middle Aged medicine.disease Silicon Dioxide Dermatology Surgery medicine.anatomical_structure Cross-Sectional Studies Italy Metallurgy Female business Tomography X-Ray Computed |
| Popis: | Background Silicosis is caused by inhaling free crystalline silica. Few case reports have addressed the risk of silicosis in the jewelry trade where chalk molds containing a high percentage of silica are used in casting. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 100 goldsmiths exposed to silica. Methods All workers replied to a questionnaire and underwent a clinical examination, pulmonary function tests, a chest X-ray and a high-resolution CT scan. Results High-resolution CT visualized signs of silicosis in 23 cases, confirmed by standard chest X-rays in 10. In the 23 workers with CT evidence of silicosis Total Lung Capacity, FEV1 and the Lung Diffusing Capacity did not differ from the workers without the disease. Pulmonary function tests did not correlate with silica exposure. Conclusion In this study we demonstrate that use of chalk molds in casting in jewelry causes silicosis. The composition of the dust could be responsible of the high prevalence observed. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:577–583, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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