Abnormalities Consistent with Asbestos-Related Disease Among Long-Term Demolition Workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Levin SM
• Description:
  An industrial hygiene study was conducted among workers who were members of Local 95, Laborers' International Union of North America in New York City. The members of this local specialize in demolition work. Invitations were extended to 355 individuals who had joined the local more than 20 years earlier. Of these, 88 chose to participate. Of the 88 who underwent chest X-ray examination, 19 (22 percent) exhibited changes consistent with prior asbestos (1332-21-4) exposure. In three cases there were small, irregular opacities compatible with parenchymal fibrotic changes, while in 17 cases pleural abnormalities were noted. Of the 87 who performed pulmonary function testing, 63 were normal. Three examinees had combined obstructive restrictive abnormalities. The presence of findings on chest X-rays consistent with asbestos related scarring was associated with abnormality on pulmonary function testing. The findings showed that as a group, demolition workers have had significant exposure to asbestos. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asbestos Construction Industry Construction Materials Epidemiology Inorganic Chemicals Lung Occupational Health Radiography Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety

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• Keywords:
  Asbestos-fibers Chest-X-rays Construction Construction-industry Construction-materials Construction-workers Demolition-industry Humans Lung-function Pulmonary-function Respiratory-system-disorders

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• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  Center to Protect Workers' Rights
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Final Cooperative Agreement Report
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; New York ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00235374
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB97-151757
• Citation:
  Center to Protect Worker's Rights, Washington, D.C. 1994 Nov; :1-11
• CAS Registry Number:
  Asbestos (CAS RN 1332-21-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1995
• Performing Organization:
  Center to Protect Workers' Rights, Washington, DC
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  19900928
• Source Full Name:
  Center to Protect Worker's Rights, Washington, D.C.
• End Date:
  19961231
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d74812fac930e56f098fb7ae55b7cc9f82b904cb90f501becef7c1f09380547d73628cc6e6d371623ff9549dc20555e11fd1f1b24dfa16e78cabd1f6239976b9
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217887/cdc_217887_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 763.15 KB ]