History of Silicosis

Details

• Personal Author:
  Harley RA ; Vallyathan V
• Description:
  Silicosis is a debilitating lung disease caused by the inhalation of crystalline silica. Despite several decades of intensive research and effective (frequently unenforced) environmental dust control measures, silicosis, a disease of historical importance, continues to be a problem in our workplaces. It is important to emphasize and recapitulate the history of silicosis because in the past it was believed that the disease was a reflection of an individual 's peculiar, social, personal, hereditary, and economic circumstances. The disease was considered to occur as a result of the special relationship between an individual and a complex, highly peculiarized environment. In the past, silicosis and other pneumoconioses were diseases of the poor, of slaves, or of prisoners forced to work. The rampant tuberculosis prevalent in the 18th and 19th centuries made a significant impact on the concomitant increased mortality of people with silicosis. Roentgenographic examination of the chest was not available as a diagnostic tool until 1885, i.e., long after the recognition of silicosis. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aluminum Silicates Dust Lung Lung Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety
• Keywords:
  Dust-exposure Dust-inhalation Humans Lung-disease Lung-disorders Lung-fibrosis Occupational-hazards Occupational-respiratory-disease Pneumoconiosis Pulmonary-system-disorders Respirable-dust Respiratory-system-disorders Silicates

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• ISBN:
  9780849347092
• Publisher:
  CRC Press
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Book
• 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:
  7-13
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20036998
• Citation:
  Silica and silica-induced lung diseases. Castranova V, Vallyathan V, Wallace WE, eds. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1995 Dec; :7-13
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Editor(s):
  Castranova V; Vallyathan V; Wallace WE
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1996
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Silica and silica-induced lung diseases
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:cb1ce85238935a249c4b4b154d1b4f0619f9508c6b13f83b5812e1e02558bd1967d052d6604b9c3bb678a4661af2884bb5e1f81f6d6259a40abe85eaf95c29f5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/188179/cdc_188179_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.26 MB ]