Yingratanasuk Tanongsak, Seixas Noah, Barnhart Scott, Brodkin Drew
Faculty of Public Health, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand.
Int J Occup Environ Health. 2002 Oct-Dec;8(4):301-8. doi: 10.1179/107735202800338722.
A cross-sectional study of dust exposures and health outcomes was conducted in a stone-carving company in Thailand. 147 respirable dust samples were collected and 97 subjects participated. Exposure indices were constructed and health outcomes, including respiratory symptoms, pulmonary functions, and chest radiographs, were assessed. Severities of employees' current exposures to quartz were 0.5-8.8 times the ACGIH-TLV, depending on job and site. Durations of exposures ranged from 4 months to 30 years. The prevalence of silicosis (profusion grade > or = 1/0) was 2%. Pulmonary tuberculosis was also detected in 4%. Linear regression analyses revealed decreased lung function in workers with longer work durations (p < 0.05), regardless of age, sex, height, and smoking status. No clear association was seen between cumulative exposure metrics and indicators of silicosis. Elevated silica exposure levels indicate an ongoing risk of silicosis in this industry. Exposures were increased by the use of grinding tools with no ventilation and by proximity to other workers. However, because the number of workers with dust-exposure histories was limited, exposure measurements were confined to current conditions.
在泰国的一家石雕公司开展了一项关于粉尘暴露与健康结果的横断面研究。采集了147份可吸入粉尘样本，97名受试者参与其中。构建了暴露指数，并评估了包括呼吸道症状、肺功能和胸部X光片在内的健康结果。根据工作岗位和工作地点的不同，员工当前接触石英的严重程度为美国政府工业卫生学家会议（ACGIH）阈限值（TLV）的0.5至8.8倍。暴露时长从4个月到30年不等。矽肺病（密集度分级>或=1/0）的患病率为2%。还检测到4%的人患有肺结核。线性回归分析显示，无论年龄、性别、身高和吸烟状况如何，工作时长较长的工人肺功能下降（p<0.05）。累积暴露指标与矽肺病指标之间未发现明显关联。二氧化硅暴露水平升高表明该行业存在矽肺病的持续风险。使用无通风的研磨工具以及靠近其他工人会增加暴露。然而，由于有粉尘暴露史的工人数量有限，暴露测量仅限于当前状况。
