The morbidity and mortality of vermiculite miners and millers exposed to tremolite-actinolite: Part III. Radiographic findings.

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• Personal Author:
  Althouse R ; Amandus HE ; Jones, Richard ; Morgan WK ; Sargent EN
• Description:
  A study of X-ray findings in tremolite (14567738)/actinolite (1332214) exposed workers was conducted. X-ray films of 184 males who had been employed at a vermiculite (1318009) mine (SIC-1499) and mill near Libby, Montana, for at least 5 years from 1975 to 1982 were read and scored according to criteria of the International Labor Organization. Company administered questionnaires on smoking habits and respiratory symptoms were reviewed. Individual cumulative fiber exposure estimates in fiber/years (f/yr), tenure, and age were calculated to the date of the most recent radiographic examination. The prevalence of X-ray abnormalities was as follows: small opacities, 10 percent; any pleural change, 15 percent; pleural calcification, 4 percent; and pleural thickening on the wall, 13 percent. F/yr exposures were significantly related to small opacities, any pleural change, and pleural thickening on the wall, but not to pleural calcification. The association between f/yr, small opacities, and pleural change was not significant under joint control for cigarette smoking and age. Few cases of small opacities, however, were found among nonsmokers and younger workers with low f/yr exposure. The exposure response relationship for small opacities was also investigated using data from other studies, in which subjects had no dust exposure. The prevalence of small opacities was significantly higher for vermiculite workers with more than 100f/yr exposures compared to workers in non dusty occupations. The authors conclude that an 8 hour time weighted fiber exposure of approximately 50 years, is not a conservative standard for preventing X-ray evidence of small opacities. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Asbestos Dust Epidemiology Inorganic Chemicals Mining Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Radiation Radiography Safety

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• Keywords:
  Airborne-fibers Asbestos-fibers Author Keywords: Tremolite-actinolite Chest-X-rays Fiber-years Exposure Humans Mineral-dusts Mining-industry NIOSH-Author Occupational-exposure Radiographic-analysis Small Radiographic Opacities

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Louisiana ; Montana ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 6 ; OSHA Region 8 ; OSHA Region 9 ; 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:
  27-37
• Volume:
  11
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00166359
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 1987 Jan; 11(1):27-37
• Contact Point Address:
  H.E. Amandus, PhD, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 944 Chestnut Ridge Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
• CAS Registry Number:
  Asbestos (CAS RN 1332-21-4) ; Tremolite (Ca2[(Mg0.9-1Fe0-0.1)4.5-5Al0-0.5](Si7.5-8Al0-0.5)(OH)2O22) (CAS RN 14567-73-8) ; Vermiculite (Mg0.33[Mg2-3(Al0-1Fe0-1)0-1](Si2.33-3.33Al0.67-1.67)(OH)2O10.4H2O) (CAS RN 1318-00-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1987
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  1499 - Miscellaneous Nonmetallic Minerals, Not Elsewhere Classified - (SIC)
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1a6e19479ee87300b6ae70f43748b98a7744b45287733be9b8b3cbd8cf9c71e52dc566852fda28fac8eef5c36d03712075896a77a2025a1704bfe117177387d8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/185102/cdc_185102_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 615.64 KB ]