Risk of Mortality Caused by Silicosis and Lung Cancer: a Study on Ceramic Tile Factory Workers

Alireza Mosavi Jarrahi,Ayda Fallah Asadi,Mohammad Nourmohammadi,Saeed Yari

doi:10.31557/apjec.2018.1.2.55

Alireza Mosavi Jarrahi, Ayda Fallah Asadi + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.31557/apjec.2018.1.2.55

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Abstract

Exposure to silica dust may be considered as an important hazard in the tile industry. The aim of this research was to determine workers’ exposure to crystalline silica dust and assess the relative risk of silicosis and the excess lifetime risk of mortality from lung cancer in tile industry. The visible spectroscopy, based on the NIOSH method 7601, was employed to the do sampling and analysis. For estimate the rate of silicosis relate mortality and the excess lifetime risk of mortality from lung cancer the Mannetje and rice model used. The highest average of the exposure rate to silica were in Stone crusher (0/43 mg/m3) section and press section while the lowest average of the exposure rate to free silica was in packaging section (0/12 mg/m3). 95 percent of the study samples scored above the occupational exposure limit0.05 mg/m3NIOSH standard.

Highlights

Silica is the most widely found mineral on the earth crust, which consists of a silicon atom and two oxygen atoms
Following to another examination conducted by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), mainly focusing on dose-response and cohort studies in 2009, it was revealed that inhaled silica, in form of quartz and cristobalite, in the workplace could be carcinogenic to humans and, silica was classified as the class 1 (A1) human carcinogen [8,9,10]
This paper aims at calculating the exposure rate of workers to crystalline silica in a ceramic tile factory as well as assessing the risk of mortality caused by silicosis and lung cancer

Summary

Introduction

Silica is the most widely found mineral on the earth crust, which consists of a silicon atom and two oxygen atoms. As the result of exposure to crystalline silica, the silica particles are absorbed by the microphages in the workers’ lung alveolar, which start phagocytizing them. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) categorized silica as a human carcinogen in 1996; the carcinogenic potential of silica was subject to uncertainties due to a number of evidences Following to another examination conducted by IARC, mainly focusing on dose-response and cohort studies in 2009, it was revealed that inhaled silica, in form of quartz and cristobalite, in the workplace could be carcinogenic to humans and, silica was classified as the class 1 (A1) human carcinogen [8,9,10].

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