Radiographic Evidence of Silicosis Risk in the Diatomaceous Earth Industry

Details

• Personal Author:
  Checkoway, Harvey ; Demers PA ; Henry MM ; Heyer NJ ; Hughes JM ; Jones RN ; Seixas, Noah S. ; Weill H
• Description:
  There is limited and conflicting evidence regarding the exposure-response relationship between exposure to crystalline silica and silicosis; the level of risk to current workers remains uncertain. We conducted an epidemiologic investigation of 1,809 workers in the diatomaceous earth industry, where exposures to crystalline silica are primarily to the cristobalite form. On the basis of the median of three independent readings, 81 (4.5%) workers were judged to have opacities on chest radiographs (small opacities, profusion 1/0, and/or large opacities). Age-adjusted relative risk of opacities increased significantly with cumulative exposure to crystalline silica. The concentration of respirable crystalline silica to which workers were exposed (highly correlated with period of hire) was an important determinant of risk after accounting for cumulative exposure. For workers with an average exposure to crystalline silica of 0.50 mg/m3 (or hired 1950), the cumulative risk of opacities for a cumulative exposure to crystalline silica of 2.0 mg/m3-yr was approximately 1.1%; for an average exposure > 0.50 mg/m3 (or hired < 1950), the corresponding cumulative risk was 3.7%. These findings indicate an exposure-response relationship between cumulative exposure to crystalline silica and radiographic opacities; moreover, the relationship was substantially steeper among workers exposed at the highest average concentrations of crystalline silica. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aluminum Silicates Biomarkers Epidemiology Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Silicon Dioxide Workplace
• Keywords:
  Exposure-levels Occupational-exposure Risk-factors Silica-dusts Silicates Silicosis Work-environment Workers
• ISSN:
  1073-449X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  158
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20024507
• Citation:
  Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1998 Sep; 158(3):807-814
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Janet M. Hughes, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, SL18, Tulane University Medical Center, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112
• Email:
  hughes@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7) ; Silica (CAS RN 7631-86-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1998
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19940401
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
• End Date:
  19960331
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c81b94a199b96d0b8a603fb6c894457bf80ae94e8b0fe5a61eef58cec1268605d426d72df23d62ff720b589bec6f6adf38e9e39011845fc9a8c96fc6bc9487c5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/196280/cdc_196280_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 68.71 KB ]