Development of Silicosis in a Cohort of South African Gold Miners – Radiological and Autopsy Based Study

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hnizdo, Eva ; Murray J
• Description:
  In this study a cohort of 2,260 South African gold miners who started mining in 1940 was followed for silicosis onset using radiological data up to 1989 and autopsy data up to 2003. The objective was to relate the age of onset of radiological silicosis to exposure pattern, and to compare radiological and autopsy findings. A first epidemiological reading of the annual chest radiographs (ILO Classification) was done in 1970 at 45-54 years of age, by an experienced reader, No.1. A second independent reading for silicosis onset was done in 1989 by three readers, including reader No.1. Based on reader No.1, the number of miners with radiological signs of silicosis ILO category > 1/0 was 149 by the year 1970 and 351 by 1989. By 2003, there were 1,464 (65%) miners who had an autopsy: 677 (46%) had no silicosis, 339 (23%) had insignificant, 204 (14%) slight, 180 (12%) moderate, and 64 (4%) marked degree of silicosis at autopsy. The study shows the development of silicosis from the start of employment up to death and its relation to exposure. The exposure-response relationship for autopsy silicosis was similar to that observed for radiological silicosis. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Autopsy Environmental Monitoring Epidemiology Mining Occupational Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Radiation Radiography Safety
• Keywords:
  Autopsies Exposure-assessment Gold-mines Miners Mining-industry Occupational-diseases Occupational-exposure Radiographic-analysis Radiology Silicosis Surveillance

  More +
• Publisher:
  International Labour Office
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary ; Proceedings
• 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:
  71
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20029452
• Citation:
  Abstracts of the 10th International Conference on Occupational Respiratory Diseases, April 19-22, 2005, Beijing, China. Geneva: International Labour Office, 2005 Apr; :71
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Abstracts of the 10th International Conference on Occupational Respiratory Diseases, April 19-22, 2005, Beijing, China
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:016f3bdbd6bf667b264a6e7d6faf024c9d798f871be0327db137e16ab9003ef02f9bc9dddd0f118f4753e3119aab2c23e269ed9de31271e1fba47c22d6772d40
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/190429/cdc_190429_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 634.65 KB ]