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Query: UMLS:C0032273 (pneumoconiosis)
 1,578 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A study of the health of 78 workers in an iron and steel foundry in Vancouver, British Columbia, was carried out and the results compared with those found in 372 railway repair yard workers who were not significantly exposed to air contaminants at work. The foundry workers were exposed to PepSet, which consists of diphenyl methane diisocyanate (MDI) and phenol formaldehyde and their decomposition products as well as to silica containing particulates. A questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers, and chest radiography, allergy skin tests, pulmonary function tests, and methacholine inhalation tests were carried out as well as measurement levels of dust and MDI. Compared with the controls, the foundry workers had more respiratory symptoms and a significantly lower mean FEV1 and FEF25-75% after adjustments had been made for differences in age, height, and smoking habit. Three workers (4.8%) had radiographic evidence of pneumoconiosis and 12 (18.2%) had asthma defined as presence of bronchial hyperreactivity, cough, and additional respiratory symptoms such as wheeze, chest tightness, or breathlessness. Sensitisation to MDI is probably the cause of asthma in these workers.
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PMID:Respiratory abnormalities among workers in an iron and steel foundry. 298 92

Many studies have demonstrated how exposure to chemical pollutants in indoor air has adverse effects on health and comfort. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, ozone, particulates, fibres and environmental tobacco smoke have all been implicated. VOCs include a wide range of chemical substances which irritate mucosa. Many are neurotoxic and some are suspected or known to be carcinogenic e.g. benzene. Formaldehyde, the simplest and most common aldehyde in indoor air, is a powerful irritant to the skin, eyes, nose and upper airways. Given its close association with nasal-pharyngeal tumours, it has recently been classified as a certain carcinogen for humans. Exposure to ozone may cause airway irritation and inflammation, reduce the ventilation function and increase reversible bronchial reactivity. In the general population it increases the mortality rate and the number of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases. Airborne particles, a mixture of organic and inorganic substances, are powerful irritants for the eyes and mucosa and can cause adverse cardiovascular effects. Apart from indoor environments, exposure to asbestos fibres has been associated with an increased risk of respiratory diseases such as pneumoconiosis lung cancer and mesothelioma. Synthetic mineral fibres cause transient irritation and inflammation of the skin, eyes and upper airways. Recent observations have confirmed that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, which is widespread in workplaces, increases the risk of lung cancer, irritative respiratory and ocular symptoms and cardiovascular diseases.
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PMID:[Chemical pollution of indoor air and its effects on health]. 1558 46