Silicosis

Details

• Personal Author:
  Parker, John E.
• Description:
  Silicosis is a fibrotic disease of the lungs caused by the inhalation of, retention of, and pulmonary reaction to crystalline silica. Despite extensive knowledge Abou the cause of this pneumoconiosis (respiratory exposures to silica-containing dusts), this serious and potentially fatal occupational lung disease is tragically still seen even today, in the last part of this century in the United States and throughout the world. Silica, or silicon dioxide, is the predominant component of the earth's crust. The three important crystalline forms of silica are quartz, tridymite, and cristobalite. These forms are also called free silica to distinguish them from the silicates. The silica content in different rock formations, such as sandstone, granite, and slate, varies from 20% to nearly 100%. Occupational exposure to silica particles of respirable size (0.5 to 5 micrometers) is associated with mining, quarrying, drilling, and tunneling operations. Silica exposure is also a potential hazard to sandblasters, stonecutters, and pottery, foundry, ground silica, and refractory workers. The national or worldwide prevalence of silicosis is unknown, but more than 2 million workers in the United States alone are employed in trades at risk for the development of silicosis; in the developing world, cumulative estimates exceed 1 million cases of the disease [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Lung Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety
• Keywords:
  Disease-prevention Lung-disease Occupational-exposure Respirators Respiratory-protection Risk-factors Silicosis
• Publisher:
  WB Saunders
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  230-232
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20000160
• Citation:
  Conn's current therapy 1998 Dec; :230-232
• Contact Point Address:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, Morgantown, WV 26505
• CAS Registry Number:
  Cristobalite (CAS RN 14464-46-1) ; Diatomite (CAS RN 61790-53-2)
• Editor(s):
  Rakel RE
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1999
• NORA Priority Area:
  Disease and Injury: Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Conn's current therapy 1998
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f7a5cbeb054caebeb8a0f7f00399a595740a843574aa6efd943f985331d6e61fc300d444e3c18a923a88b90b52cd6d81c9f902767dff1074003cb95bf8c51e70
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/198161/cdc_198161_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 103.36 KB ]