Textile Dust Research Articles

Occupational exposure to textile dust and lung cancer risk: Results from the ICARE Study.

To investigate the association of lung cancer with occupational exposure to textile dust and specifically to cotton dust in the population-based case-control study ICARE. Lifelong occupational history of 2926 cases and 3555 controls was collected using standardized questionnaires, with specific questions for textile dust exposure. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression models controlling for confounding factors including smoking and asbestos exposure. An inverse association between textile dust exposure and lung cancer was found among workers exposed ≥5% of their work time (OR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.58-1.09), more pronounced for distant exposures (40+ years; up to a 56% reduced risk, statistically significant). The OR of lung cancer was significantly decreased among workers exposed to cotton fibers (OR = 0.70, 95%CI = 0.48-0.97). Our results provide some evidence of a decreased risk of lung cancer associated with exposure to textile dust, particularly cotton.

Sinonasal cancer in the Italian national surveillance system: Epidemiology, occupation, and public health implications.

Sinonasal cancer (SNC) is a rare tumor with predominant occupational etiology associated with exposures to specific carcinogens. The aim of this study is to describe SNC cases recorded in Italy in the period 2000-2016. Clinical information, occupational history, and lifestyle habits of SNC cases collected in the Italian Sinonasal Cancer Register were examined. Age-standardized rates were estimated. Overall, 1529 cases were recorded. The age-standardized incidence rates per 100 000 person-years were 0.65 in men and 0.26 in women. Occupational exposures were predominant among the attributed exposure settings, primarily to wood and leather dusts. Other putative causal agents included chrome, solvents, tannins, formaldehyde, textile dusts, and pesticides. Many cases had unknown exposure. Epidemiological surveillance of SNC cases and their occupational history is fundamental for monitoring the occurrence of the disease in exposed workers in industrial sectors generally not considered at risk of SNC as well as in non-occupational settings.

Noninvasive Resolution of Vanishing Lung Syndrome

SESSION TITLE: Obstructive Lung Diseases SESSION TYPE: Affiliate Case Report Poster PRESENTED ON: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 at 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM INTRODUCTION: Vanishing lung syndrome, also known as idiopathic giant bullous emphysema, is defined by large bullae that occupy at least one third of the hemi thorax with resultant compression of surrounding lung parenchyma. Rarely do the bullae resolve spontaneously. We report a case of spontaneous resolution of giant bullae in a female patient with a remote smoking history and undiagnosed chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). CASE PRESENTATION: A 75-year-old woman presented to the emergency department (ED) with a four-week history of non-productive cough and one-week of progressive dyspnea. Medical history included NASH-cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and tobacco use. The patient had a 46 pack-year smoking history however quit 19 years prior to presentation. The patient recently underwent trans arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and ablation of a residual hepatocellular tumor on the liver. In the ED, pulse oximetry was 93 % breathing ambient air. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest confirmed interval development of large bullae and severe volume loss of the left lung without pneumothorax as well as emphysematous changes throughout the right lung (Figure 1) when compared with CT from two months prior. Patient was admitted to the hospital for further monitoring. Pulse oximetry was measured during ambulation, oxygen level dropped to 83% while breathing ambient air. Supplemental oxygen was supplied along with antitussives, oral steroids, azithromycin, nebulized albuterol and ipratropium. Home oxygen, albuterol, fluticasone-salmeterol inhalers and antitussives were prescribed upon discharge. Two months later, follow-up CT of the chest revealed almost complete resolution of the bullae (Figure 2). The patient’s symptoms were much improved and she no longer required supplemental oxygen. DISCUSSION: Vanishing lung syndrome primarily affects the upper lung lobes, and is more prevalent in young males who are heavy smokers and in those with alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT) deficiency. These giant bullae are usually persistent and often require lung-volume reduction surgery or bullectomy. In this case, bullae were attributed to persistent coughing (possibly related to recent TACE/ablation procedure) - this is rare. There was no pneumothorax or infection. The patient tested negative for connective tissue disorders and A1AT level was normal. She had no environmental exposures such as coal mining, gold mining or to cotton textile dust. Resolution occurred with symptom control and administration of bronchodilators. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous resolution of giant bullae is rare, even more so in females. Intensifying bronchodilator therapy and symptom control should be attempted before invasive procedures are considered. Reference #1: Ladizinski, B. and Sankey, C. N Engl J Med. 2014; 370:e14 February 27, 2014 Reference #2: Byrd, R.P. and Roy, T.M. Austin J Pulm Respir Mws. 2014;1(4):1017 Reference #3: Sharma N., Justaniah A.M., Kanne J.P., Gurney J.W., and Mohammad T.L. J Thoracic Imaging. 2009 Aug;24(3):227-30 DISCLOSURE: The following authors have nothing to disclose: Stephanie Cull, Garrett Rampon, Abhishek Krishna, Setu Patolia No Product/Research Disclosure Information

Asthme professionnel : profil clinique et professionnel du travailleur asthmatique tunisien

Asthma takes up a great importance in occupational diseases but remains underestimated as it is insufficiently diagnosed. We aimed to access the clinical and professional profile of the Tunisian asthmatic worker. It was a retrospective descriptive study in a professional pathology unit in a university hospital. All patients referred by their doctor for symptoms suggestive of occupational asthma, during a period from 2000to 2008, were included. Forty-eight patients were selected from 172. The mean age was 40years, with a male predominance (56%). In 2/3of the cases, it was the textile workers, food and chemical industry. The etiological agents incriminated were textile dust in 18.8% of cases followed by isocyanates and flour. Typical episodes of wheezing dyspnea were present in 52% and atopy in 54.2% of workers. In 2% of cases, symptoms disappeared and worsened in 18.8%. The prognosis of OA depends on early end accurate diagnosis. The physician's role is to initiate the appropriate diagnostic approach, which must comply with the Tunisian conditions.

Textile cotton dust waste: partial diethylaminoethylation and its application to the sorption/removal of the model residual textile dye Reactive Red 239

Cellulose is the most abundant polysaccharide in nature and it encompasses a lot of industrial applications; it is from totally renewable resources and it reduces the greenhouse effect. The cotton yarn has an unavoidable loss of 8 % during any textile factory processes. Due to its intrinsic cellulosic nature, this cotton dust waste may be a convenient feedstock for chemical derivatization with diethylaminoethyl groups, thus providing a DEAE+-CDW anionic exchange matrix able to adsorb a residual dye, such as Reactive Red 239 (RR239), from textile wastewaters. A factorial design (with such parameters as alkali catalyst and derivatization reagent) and other experiments were performed to investigate the influence of the initial model dye concentration, contact time and presence of common textile salts. A selected DEAE+-CDW displayed RR239 dye sorption of 60.00 (column) and 93.41 mg g−1 (batch). A good fit was found for the Langmuir isotherm (R 2 = 0.9878) drawn from the sorption data. The use of more DEAE+ reagent in the synthesis step resulted in better DEAE+-CDW matrices, with the same being valid for the alkali concentration but with less intensity. The addition of 50 or 100 mmol L−1 NaCl increased RR239 retention by 8.15 %, and the enzymatic cellulolytic degradability of fully dyed DEAE+-CDW, compared to dye-free DEAE+-CDW, was reduced from 42.57 to 28.15 %. The data support the assumption that the DEAE+-CDW matrix is effective in the removal of the recalcitrant residual dye and or its colored degradation products still present in partially precleared textile waste sample and thus this represents an important alternative in the treatment of colored textile effluents. Shortly, a factory problem was converted in a solution for another greater environmental problem.

Textile dust exposure found to double rheumatoid arthritis risk among working women

Textile dust exposure found to double rheumatoid arthritis risk among working women

Making Material Knowledge: Process-led Textile Research as an Active Source for Design Innovation

This paper explores the notion of “Textile Thinking” during a cross-disciplinary research case study exploring material boundaries. The Material Boundaries project was designed to consciously experiment beyond the unknown and generate a deeper understanding where ceramic begins and textiles end as well as the transitional space in between them. This led to the development of a collection of new hybrid materials and a series of spatially applied textile design outcomes. The project took risk-taking to the extreme by firing material hybrids in a kiln, often “producing” nothing but traces of textile dust. This paper presents the journey of the reflective mapping process, illustrating the key stages of the research, which led to the discovery of new material properties applying traditional ceramic processes to high tech textiles. The findings identify risk-taking and “unlearning” as essential strategies to invite valuable set-backs as well as happy accidents. Essential key stages of an open – ended process-led textile research are portrayed as:• Mapping New Terrain• Unlearning and Play• Navigating Material Evaluation• Selective Design DevelopmentsInformed by the experience of applying ceramic making processes to textile materials the differences and similarities of the two disciplines are discussed. As textiles can consist of a wide range of diverse materials ranging from jute to plastic, fine-tuning of material qualities lies at the core of the design and research development. Here the intrinsic knowledge of the behaviour of different textile components informs the selection of the material. Additionally adaptability and flexibility is a key textile quality whilst ceramics often need to achieve perfect stability – ironically achieved out of elastic clay material.The findings identify core areas of “textile thinking” and explore its unique creative capital for design research and development as an additional creative impulse for generic design thinking. The authors explore the role of material “playtypes” to complement and inform the development of design prototypes, facilitating a more playful and open-ended material research approach. This paper concludes by suggesting methods and processes to invite more risk taking into textile research and investigates how tacit knowledge about materials can be integrated and communicated within the framework of design research. It defines materials as an active source of information and identifies the intricate knowledge making through hands on textile thinking.

Occupational exposure to textile dust increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis: results from a Malaysian population-based case–control study

ObjectivesLung exposures including cigarette smoking and silica exposure are associated with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated the association between textile dust exposure and the risk of RA...

Exposures and Asthma Outcomes Using Two Different Job Exposure Matrices in a General Population Study in Northern Europe

We have recently published a study on new-onset asthma in a large population in northern Europe using a modified job exposure matrix (N-JEM) to better reflect exposure assignment in these countries. The aim of this paper was to investigate how the N-JEM differs in exposure assignment and asthma risks from an already established JEM. The study comprised 6253 men and 7031 women from northern Europe, born 1945-1973, who had answered both a screening (1989-1992) and a follow-up questionnaire (1999-2001). During the study period (1980-2000), there were 136 men and 293 women with new-onset asthma. Hazard ratios of new-onset asthma were calculated for both JEMs using Cox regression models. The analyses were made separately for men and women and were also stratified for atopy. Cohen's kappa (κ) was used to show agreements in exposure assignment (yes/no) between the JEMs. Population attributable risks (PARs) were calculated as well. The agreement in exposure assignment between the JEMs was substantial for the group 'any exposure' to asthma agents (κ = 0.78). The agreement between comparable exposure groups in the JEMs varied from κ = 1.00 (pharmaceutical product antigens, textile dust, cleaning agents) to κ = 0.27 (low molecular weight agents). Significant increased asthma risks were seen for men exposed to isocyanates and accidental peak exposure with both JEMs. With the N-JEM, increased asthma risks were seen for men exposed to plant-associated antigens (all and non-atopic), epoxy compounds (all and non-atopic), and acrylates (non-atopic). With the other JEM, increased asthma risks were seen in men and women exposed to 'possible exposure to irritant gases or fumes' (all and non-atopic), a group classified as having low asthma risk. Men and women exposed to cleaning agents also showed significant asthma risks with both JEMs. PAR with the N-JEM was 14.3% for men and 6.6% for women, compared with 12.9% and 8.3% with the other JEM. Acrylates, epoxy compounds, and isocyanates are three exposure groups in the modified asthma JEM that might better reflect exposure situations in northern Europe than the already established JEM. Exposure to 'possible exposure to irritant gases or fumes', a low asthma risk group in the established JEM, seems to be a group with high asthma risk in northern Europe. It is important to continuously update JEMs, which are based only on occupational titles, in order to find new risk groups and to better reflect changes in work exposures when old risks disappear and new emerge.

Long-term respiratory health effects in textile workers.

Over 60 million people worldwide work in the textile or clothing industry. Recent studies have recognized the contribution of workplace exposures to chronic lung diseases, in particular chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Early studies in textile workers have focused on the relationship between hemp or cotton dust exposure and the development of a syndrome termed byssinosis. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the effect of long-term exposure to organic dust in textile workers on chronic respiratory disease in the broader context of disease classifications, such as reversible or irreversible obstructive lung disease (i.e. asthma or COPD), and restrictive lung disease. Cessation of exposure to cotton dust leads to improvement in lung function. Recent animal models have suggested a shift in the lung macrophage:dendritic cell population ratio as a potential mechanistic explanation for persistent inflammation in the lung due to repeated cotton dust-related endotoxin exposure. Other types of textile dust, such as silk, may contribute to COPD in textile workers. Textile dust-related obstructive lung disease has characteristics of both asthma and COPD. Significant progress has been made in the understanding of chronic lung disease due to organic dust exposure in textile workers.

Occupation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

There is growing interest in preventable, non-smoking causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), among which are chronic exposures to respiratory irritants in the workplace. Reviews of occupational COPD in specific occupations and industries and in general populations; supplemented with other or more recently published material. There is good evidence for an increased risk of COPD from certain specific exposures (coal mine dust, silica, welding fume, textile dust, agricultural dust, cadmium fume). Less clear is the causal role of non-specific dusts or fumes/gases in general populations where the available literature is notably uncritical. Other specific exposures, such as diesel fume; interactions between specific exposures and cigarette smoking; the development of safe working limits. Occupations with large numbers of exposed employees, particularly in low-income countries.

Occupational Exposures and Cancer of the Larynx—Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

To review epidemiologic data on occupational exposures and laryngeal cancer. We performed a systematic literature search and a series of meta-analyses for agents with at least 10 available studies with homogenous exposure. We analyzed 99 publications. Significantly increased meta-relative risks (meta-RRs) were obtained considering exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (meta-RR 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10 to 1.52), engine exhaust (meta-RR 1.17; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.30), textile dust (meta-RR 1.41; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.83), and working in the rubber industry (meta-RR 1.39; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.71). Exposures to wood dust, formaldehyde, and cement dust were not significantly associated with laryngeal cancer. In regards of the epidemiologic available data, we could not conclude on the role of solvents. Further studies should overcome past limitations in terms of exposure characterization, adjustment for confounding, and sample size.

Investigation of occupational and environmental causes of respiratory cancers (ICARE): a multicenter, population-based case-control study in France.

BackgroundOccupational causes of respiratory cancers need to be further investigated: the role of occupational exposures in the aetiology of head and neck cancers remains largely unknown, and there are still substantial uncertainties for a number of suspected lung carcinogens. The main objective of the study is to examine occupational risk factors for lung and head and neck cancers.Methods/designICARE is a multi-center, population-based case-control study, which included a group of 2926 lung cancer cases, a group of 2415 head and neck cancer cases, and a common control group of 3555 subjects. Incident cases were identified in collaboration with cancer registries, in 10 geographical areas. The control group was a random sample of the population of these areas, with a distribution by sex and age comparable to that of the cases, and a distribution by socioeconomic status comparable to that of the population. Subjects were interviewed face to face, using a standardized questionnaire collecting particularly information on tobacco and alcohol consumption, residential history and a detailed description of occupational history. Biological samples were also collected from study subjects. The main occupational exposures of interest are asbestos, man-made mineral fibers, formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chromium and nickel compounds, arsenic, wood dust, textile dust, solvents, strong acids, cutting fluids, silica, diesel fumes, welding fumes. The complete list of exposures of interest includes more than 60 substances. Occupational exposure assessment will use several complementary methods: case-by-case evaluation of exposure by experts; development and use of algorithms to assess exposure from the questionnaires; application of job-exposure matrices.DiscussionThe large number of subjects should allow to uncover exposures associated with moderate increase in risks, and to evaluate risks associated with infrequent or widely dispersed exposures. It will be possible to study joint effects of exposure to different occupational risk factors, to examine the interactions between occupational exposures, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and genetic risk factors, and to estimate the proportion of respiratory cancers attributable to occupational exposures in France. In addition, information on many non-occupational risk factors is available, and the study will provide an excellent framework for numerous studies in various fields.

Exposure to wood dust and risk of nasal cancer - the impact of hard and soft wood and histological subtype

ObjectivesExposure to wood dust is recognised as a cause of nasal cancer. It is, however, somewhat unclear to which extent different histological subtypes are affected, and in particular if both...

Gender differences in occupational exposure patterns

ObjectivesThe authors conducted a population-based survey to examine gender differences in occupational exposure patterns and to investigate whether any observed differences are due to: (a) gender differences in occupational distribution;...

Occupational exposures and risk of acoustic neuroma

ObjectivesAcoustic neuroma is a benign tumour accounting for approximately 6–10% of all intracranial tumours and occurs mainly in patients aged ≥50 years. Our aim was to investigate a wide range...

A case-control study on occupational risk factors for sino-nasal cancer

Objectives: Sino-nasal cancer has been consistently associated with exposure to wood dust, leather dust, nickel and chromium compounds; for other occupational hazards, the findings are somewhat mixed. The aim of...

Rhinite et asthme liés à l’exposition aux poussières de coton chez des apprentis en habillement

Respiratory allergies are the most common occupational diseases in the world. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of rhinitis and asthma among apprentices exposed to cotton dust in the clothing industry and to describe their epidemiologic and clinical profiles. We carried out a descriptive study of 600 apprentices in a textile and clothing vocational training centre in the Monastir area. The investigation comprised a questionnaire exploring risk factors and symptoms appearing during their training. Subjects who developed allergic respiratory symptoms at the work-place underwent a clinical examination, rhinomanometry and investigation of their allergic status and respiratory function. One hundred twenty apprentices (20%) developed allergic respiratory reactions due to exposure to textile dust (exclusively cotton) during their training, with a positive withdrawal-re-exposure test. Conjunctivitis (14.3%) and rhinitis (8.5%) were the most frequent allergic symptoms. Twenty eight apprentices (4.6%) presented symptoms of asthma. Rhinitis was associated with asthma in 45% of cases. Two cases of asthma were diagnosed clinically at the work-place following their exposure to textile dust. The prick test performed in 120 symptomatic apprentices was positive in 41.6% of cases. There was sensitization to pollens in 29 cases and to dermatophagoides in 13 cases. Cotton and wool allergy was noted in two cases. Allergic symptoms developing during the training were significantly more frequent in the atopic group, and they varied according to the intensity of textile dust exposure. In the textile and clothing industry the frequency of respiratory disorders caused by allergens remains high, especially in atopic apprentices who constitute a population at high risk.

Cancer of the mouth and pharynx, occupation and exposure to chemical agents in Finland [in 1971–95

The objective of this article was to find associations between cancer of the mouth and pharynx, occupation and chemical exposure. A cohort of Finns born between 1906 and 1945 was followed-up for 46.8 (21.5 in males and 25.3 in females) million person-years during 1971-95. Incident cases of cancer of the mouth and pharynx (n = 2,708) were identified in a record linkage with the Finnish Cancer Registry. The Census occupations in 1970 were converted to chemical exposures with a job-exposure matrix (FINJEM). Cumulative exposure (CE) was calculated as the product of prevalence, level and duration of the exposure. Standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was calculated for each of the 393 occupations, and for CE categories of the 43 chemical agents, using total Finnish population as reference. Relative risks (RR) comparing various CE-categories with unexposed ones were defined for selected agents by Poisson regression analysis. Elevated SIRs were observed among lawyers, authors, journalists, performing artists, musicians, electronics and telefitters, painters (building), building hands, dockers, unskilled labourers and hotel porters in males and private secretaries, dressmakers, shoemakers and cobblers, waiters, pursers and stewardesses in females. The multivariate analyses showed high RRs for high exposure to aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons, pesticides and alcohol. In conclusion, occupations with high SIRs were mostly the ones with high consumption of alcohol. Exposure to solvents and possibly to pesticides, engine exhaust, textile dust and leather dust may increase the risk of cancer of mouth and pharynx.

Lung cancer risk among textile workers in Lithuania.

BackgroundThe textile industry is one of the largest employers in Lithuania. IARC monograph concludes that working in the textile manufacturing industry entails exposures that are possibly carcinogenic to humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate risk of lung cancer incidence in textile industry workers by the type of job and evaluate the relation between occupational textile dusts exposure and lung cancer risk in a cohort.MethodsAltogether 14650 textile workers were included in this retrospective study and were followed from 1978 to 2002. Lung cancer risk was analyzed using the standardized incidence ratios (SIR) calculated by the person-years method. The expected number of cases was calculated by indirect methods using Lithuanian incidence rates.ResultsDuring the period of 25 years 70 cancer cases for male and 15 for female were identified. The SIR for male was 0.94 (95% CI PI 0.73–1.19), for female 1.36 (95% CI 0.76–2.25). The lung cancer risk for male in the cotton textile production unit was significantly lower after 10 years of employment (SIR = 0.34; 95% CI 0.12–0.73). The lung cancer risk decreased with level of exposure to textile dust (p for trends was <0.05): the SIR for the low, medium, high and very high level of cumulative exposure were 1.91 (95% CI 0.92–3.51), 1.30 (95% CI 0.52–2.69), 0.77 (95% CI 0.21–1.96), and 0.24 (95% CI 0.03–0.86) respectively.ConclusionIn our study the exposure to cotton textile dust at workplaces for male is associated with adverse lung cancer risk effects. High level of exposure to cotton dusts appears to be associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer in cotton textile workers.