Authors
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Occupational Health Surveillance Program
Source
SENSOR Occup Lung Dis Bull 2001 Mar; :1-2
Abstract
Healthy People 2000, the US Department of Health and Human Services public health goals, listed silicosis as one of the preventable occupational lung diseases that could be eliminated by the year 2000. This goal was not accomplished. The Occupational Health Surveillance Program received two recent reports involving illness associated with silica exposure. Last August, a physician reported a case of silicosis in a 45-year-old Massachusetts dental technician who worked in his own dental laboratory. In February, OHSP received an inquiry about a Maine worker diagnosed by video assisted open lung biopsy with aluminum silicate particles in her lungs; she had previously worked in antiperspirant manufacture. Silica exposure continues today in sandblasting, construction projects (including the Big Dig and road repair) and in dental laboratories. Continued health care provider vigilance is required to diagnose this "old" occupational disease. This report provides an update about silicosis.
Keywords
Occupational-diseases; Occupational-health; Lung-disease; Work-environment; Workers; Occupational-exposure; Respiratory-system-disorders; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Employee-exposure; Occupational-respiratory-disease; Health-care; Disease-prevention; Airway-resistance; Surveillance-programs; Medical-monitoring; Lung-irritants; Silica-dusts; Silicosis; Epidemiology; Exposure-assessment; Exposure-levels; Exposure-limits; Construction; Agriculture; Foundries; Stone-grinders; Stone-processing; Mining-industry; Railroads; Ceramics; Glass-manufacturing-industry; Shipbuilding-industry; Soap-products; Detergent-industry; Abrasive-grinding; Abrasives; Abrasive-blasting
Contact
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Occupational Health Surveillance Program, 250 Washington Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02108
CAS No.
7631-86-9; 14808-60-7
Funding Type
Cooperative Agreement
Identifying No.
Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U60-CCU-103010
Source Name
SENSOR Occupational Lung Disease Bulletin
Performing Organization
Massachusetts State Department of Public Health
