Asbestos exposure, cigarette smoking, and airflow limitation in long-term Canadian chrysotile miners and millers
To investigate further the relationships of asbestos exposure, cigarette smoking, and airflow limitation, we have obtained detailed pulmonary function tests (PFT) in 331 long-term Canadian chrysotile workers, 34 of whom were lifetime nonsmokers. Three disease categories were defined on the bases of standard diagnostic criteria, gallium-67 lung uptake, and the lung pressure-volume curve. Category A was composed of workers without changes suggestive of alveolitis or asbestosis. There were eight nonsmokers (ns), among whom we found a statistically significant 30% reduction in airflow conductance (Gus) at low lung volume, which is consistent with the concept of an asbestos airway lesion. The 85 smokers (sm) of category A had reduction of Gus at both high and low lung volumes. Category B was composed of workers without asbestosis but with evidence of asbestos alveolitis. In the six ns, Gus was significantly reduced to 50% normal at low lung volume. The 59 sm had reduction of Gus at both high and low lung volumes but less severely than sm in category A. Category C was composed of workers with asbestosis. The 20 ns had restrictive pattern of lung function, and Gus was decreased to 39% normal at 50% TLC. The 153 sm in C had airflow reduction comparable to sm in B. We concluded that asbestos exposure, which leads to asbestos airway disease, asbestos peribronchiolar alveolitis, and asbestosis, causes airflow limitation at low lung volume but does not reduce the expiratory flow rates on the flow-volume curve in lifetime nonsmokers. In the smoking asbestos workers with alveolitis or asbestosis, the major component of airflow limitation is a smoking effect. In these smoking workers, rigidity of the lung lessens airflow obstruction associated with smoking at the expense of increased work of breathing.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. de Sherbrooke, Quebec
- OSTI ID:
- 6934761
- Journal Information:
- Am. J. Ind. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Ind. Med.; (United States) Vol. 1; ISSN AJIMD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
AIR FLOW
ASBESTOS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CANADA
COLLOIDS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
DYNAMIC FUNCTION STUDIES
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GAS FLOW
HAZARDS
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MILLING
MINERS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
PNEUMOCONIOSES
RADIOISOTOPES
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
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UPTAKE