Airway disease in non-smoking asbestos workers

Journal Article · · Arch. Environ. Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039896.1985.10545935· OSTI ID:6252663

Kilburn, K H; Warshaw, R H; Einstein, K; Bernstein, J

Ninety-seven non-cigarette-smoking white male insulators from the midwestern United States had significantly reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV/sub 1.0/) and forced expiratory flow from 75 to 85% of expired volume when compared to a reference population of Michigan male nonsmokers. There were parenchymal opacities with a profusion of 1/0 or greater in 7 and pleural changes in 13 of these 97 nonsmokers. Asbestos, in the absence of cigarette smoke effects and other diseases, appears to decrease airflow, probably by the distortion of small airways (< 2 mm) by peribronchiolar fibrosis. This stiffening of the lung parenchyma protects midflow (FEF/sub 25-75/) as the fibrosis increases the lung's radial traction on airways larger than 2 mm. This observation contributes to the natural history of physiological impairment due to asbestos disease.

• Research Organization: USC School of Medicine, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 6252663
• Journal Information: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States), Journal Name: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States) Vol. 40:6; ISSN AEHLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism &amp; Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ASBESTOS
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
BODY
DATA
DISEASES
ETIOLOGY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FUNCTIONS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INFORMATION
LUNGS
NUMERICAL DATA
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
THERMAL INSULATION