PLEUROPULMONARY DISEASE AMONG ASBESTOS WORKERS IN RELATION TO SMOKING AND TYPE OF EXPOSURE

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 20  (5) , 341-345
Abstract
The chest roentgenograms of employees aged 40 and over in 2 asbestos manufacturing plants were read by consensus without knowledge of the plant or smoking habits. Plant A used only chrysotile asbestos throughout its history and Plant B used amosite as well as chrysotile, the amosite being limited to the period 1950-64. The prevalence of pulmonary disease was 25% in Plant A and 33% in Plant B. The prevalence of pleural thickening was 18% in Plant A and 35% in Plant B. Neither age nor work duration were factors in these differences. In Plant A there was no obvious relationship between smoking and pleuropulmonary disease. In Plant B there was a definite relationship of smoking to pulmonary disease and perhaps to pleural thickening. Both type of asbestos and smoking habits appear to be determinants of pleuropulmonary disease in asbestos workers.

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