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Parenchymal and pleural fibrosis in construction workers
Author(s) -
Oksa Panu,
Koskinen Heikki,
Rinne JoukoPekka,
Zitting Anders,
Roto Pekka,
Huuskonen Matti S.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.4700210411
Subject(s) - medicine , fibrosis , occupational exposure , parenchyma , pathology , intensive care medicine , environmental health
Exposure to mineral dust was studied among construction workers (N = 437) with the aid of a questionnaire and a chest X‐ray examination of the lungs. The results of the questionnaire showed that 81% of the construction workers had been exposed to asbestos. Exposure had occurred in all of the occupational groups studied. Pleural plaques and/or lung fibrosis (ILO ≥ 1/1) were found in 26% of the examined workers; the prevalence varied from 18 to 40% among the various occupational groups. Comparison with a representative sample of the Finnish male population from another investigation indicates that the frequency of lung fibrosis (ILO ≥ 1/1) is at least two times higher among the examined construction workers than among the general population. It seems likely that exposure to asbestos dust can be considered an etiological factor for an appreciable number of the X‐ray findings.