H Moshammer1, M Neuberger. 1. Dept of Preventive Medicine, Institute of Environmental Health, University of Vienna, Austria. hanns.moshammer@univie.ac.at
Abstract
AIMS: To study the lasting health impact of occupational dust exposure on life expectancy and specific causes of death. METHODS: Male Viennese workers, selected at age > or =40 (mean 54) years during preventive check-ups between 1950 and 1960, were followed prospectively until death. Half of them (1630) were exposed at work to (non-fibrous) particulates, while the non-exposed workers were matched for year, age, and smoking status at the start of observation. RESULTS: Average life expectancy of those exposed was 1.6 years less than that of those non-exposed. Only a small part of this decrease in life expectancy (hazards ratios in brackets) was related to acknowledged occupational diseases such as silicosis and silicotuberculosis (67.12). Chronic obstructive lung disease (1.82) and cancer of the lung (1.42) and stomach (1.77) were found more frequently among those exposed. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the hypothesis that high exposure to insoluble particulates such as silica in the metal, glass, ceramics, and stone industries promotes bronchial cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The finding of an increased incidence of stomach cancer might be related to particles swallowed after clearance from the airways.
AIMS: To study the lasting health impact of occupational dust exposure on life expectancy and specific causes of death. METHODS: Male Viennese workers, selected at age > or =40 (mean 54) years during preventive check-ups between 1950 and 1960, were followed prospectively until death. Half of them (1630) were exposed at work to (non-fibrous) particulates, while the non-exposed workers were matched for year, age, and smoking status at the start of observation. RESULTS: Average life expectancy of those exposed was 1.6 years less than that of those non-exposed. Only a small part of this decrease in life expectancy (hazards ratios in brackets) was related to acknowledged occupational diseases such as silicosis and silicotuberculosis (67.12). Chronic obstructive lung disease (1.82) and cancer of the lung (1.42) and stomach (1.77) were found more frequently among those exposed. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the hypothesis that high exposure to insoluble particulates such as silica in the metal, glass, ceramics, and stone industries promotes bronchial cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The finding of an increased incidence of stomach cancer might be related to particles swallowed after clearance from the airways.
Authors: C A González; M Sanz; G Marcos; S Pita; E Brullet; F Vida; A Agudo; C C Hsieh Journal: Scand J Work Environ Health Date: 1991-08 Impact factor: 5.024
Authors: Helle Margrete Meltzer; Tina Kold Jensen; Ondřej Májek; Hanns Moshammer; Maria Wennberg; Agneta Åkesson; Hanna Tolonen Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-06 Impact factor: 3.390