TY - JOUR

T1 - Asbestos-induced lung injury among Danish jewelry workers

AU - Døssing, M

AU - Langer, S W

PY - 1994/12

Y1 - 1994/12

N2 - Asbestos has been used extensively in a variety of occupations. In the jewelry industry, inadequate hygiene practices may often go unrecognized with resultant exposure to hazardous amounts of asbestos. We report on four retired jewelers. Two of these had both pleural and parenchymal changes. One had isolated pleural plaques and the final patient showed only parenchymal infiltrates. Their work involved hand cutting asbestos plates used for protection during soldering. In the soldering process asbestos fibers were then blown into the workroom air as the plates broke down. In addition, at the end of each work day the workroom floor was swept, with subsequent airborne asbestos dust distribution. Any patient with pleural plaques or interstitial lung disease should be questioned about potential sources of asbestos exposure in the past, regardless of present employment status.

AB - Asbestos has been used extensively in a variety of occupations. In the jewelry industry, inadequate hygiene practices may often go unrecognized with resultant exposure to hazardous amounts of asbestos. We report on four retired jewelers. Two of these had both pleural and parenchymal changes. One had isolated pleural plaques and the final patient showed only parenchymal infiltrates. Their work involved hand cutting asbestos plates used for protection during soldering. In the soldering process asbestos fibers were then blown into the workroom air as the plates broke down. In addition, at the end of each work day the workroom floor was swept, with subsequent airborne asbestos dust distribution. Any patient with pleural plaques or interstitial lung disease should be questioned about potential sources of asbestos exposure in the past, regardless of present employment status.

KW - Aged

KW - Asbestos/adverse effects

KW - Asbestosis/diagnosis

KW - Denmark

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Industry

KW - Lung Diseases/diagnosis

KW - Male

KW - Occupational Exposure/adverse effects

KW - Respiratory Function Tests

U2 - 10.1002/ajim.4700260604

DO - 10.1002/ajim.4700260604

M3 - Review

C2 - 7892826

VL - 26

SP - 755

EP - 758

JO - American Journal of Industrial Medicine

JF - American Journal of Industrial Medicine

SN - 0271-3586

IS - 6

ER -