Abstract
Abstract A cross-sectional study of the respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function of 524 workers who produce man-made mineral fibres was conducted in two fibrous-glass plants in France. An environmental survey was performed in conjunction with epidemiological investigations. The protocol included a questionnaire on smoking habits, occupational history, respiratory symptoms, irritative complaints of eyes, skin, upper airways, a physical examination of the chest, a chest radiograph, and lung function tests (forced expiration, single-breath and steady-state diffusion capacity, single-breath nitrogen washout). The respirable fibre concentration was always below 0.3 fibre/cm3. Exposed workers had slightly more chronic bronchitis, dyspnoea, laryngeal irritation, and nasal congestion, but the excess was not significant. Chest radiograph and lung function abnormalities were not related to the duration of exposure to fibres or resins. An obvious influence of tobacco consumption was found for respiratory symptoms and lung function performance. Lung function in a subgroup of 11 oven workers deviated from predicted values, but this was not statistically significant.
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