Rees D, Cronje R, du Toit R S
National Centre for Occupational Health, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Br J Ind Med. 1992 Jul;49(7):459-64. doi: 10.1136/oem.49.7.459.
Dust exposure and pneumoconiosis were investigated in a South African pottery that manufactured wall tiles and bathroom fittings. This paper describes the objectives of the investigation and presents dust measurement data. x Ray diffraction showed that the clays used by the pottery had a high quartz content (range 58%-23%, mean 38%). Exposure to respirable dust was measured for 43 workers and was highest (6.6 mg/m3) in a bathroom fitting fettler. Quartz concentrations in excess of 0.1 mg/m3 were found in all sections of the manufacturing process from slip production to biscuit firing and sorting. The proportion of quartz in the respirable dust of these sections was 24% to 33%. This is higher than is usually reported in English potteries. Four hundred and six (80%) of the 509 workers employed at the pottery were potentially at risk of occupational lung disease. The finding of large numbers of pottery workers exposed to unacceptable dust concentrations is not surprising as poor dust control was found in all six wall tile and sanitary ware factories surveyed by the National Centre for Occupational Health between 1973 and 1989. Dust related occupational disease can be expected in potters for many years to come.
对一家生产墙砖和卫浴配件的南非陶器厂进行了粉尘暴露与尘肺病调查。本文描述了调查目的并给出了粉尘测量数据。X射线衍射显示，该陶器厂使用的粘土石英含量很高（范围为58% - 23%，平均为38%）。对43名工人的可吸入粉尘暴露情况进行了测量，其中卫浴配件整修工的暴露量最高（6.6毫克/立方米）。从泥浆生产到素烧及分选的整个制造过程各环节，均发现石英浓度超过0.1毫克/立方米。这些环节可吸入粉尘中的石英比例为24%至33%。这一比例高于英国陶器厂通常报告的比例。该陶器厂雇用的509名工人中有406名（80%）有患职业性肺病的潜在风险。鉴于国家职业健康中心在1973年至1989年期间调查的所有六家墙砖和卫生洁具厂均存在粉尘控制不力的情况，发现大量陶器工人暴露于不可接受的粉尘浓度并不令人意外。在未来许多年里，陶工中预计会出现与粉尘相关的职业病。
