Hoy Ryan F, Baird Timothy, Hammerschlag Gary, Hart David, Johnson Anthony R, King Paul, Putt Michael, Yates Deborah H
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nambour General Hospital, Nambour, Queensland, Australia.
Occup Environ Med. 2018 Jan;75(1):3-5. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2017-104428. Epub 2017 Sep 7.
Artificial stone is an increasingly popular material used to fabricate kitchen and bathroom benchtops. Cutting and grinding artificial stone is associated with generation of very high levels of respirable crystalline silica, and the frequency of cases of severe silicosis associated with this exposure is rapidly increasing.
To report the characteristics of a clinical series of Australian workers with artificial stone-associated silicosis.
Respiratory physicians voluntarily reported cases of artificial stone-associated silicosis identified in their clinical practices. Physicians provided information including occupational histories, respiratory function tests, chest radiology and histopathology reports, when available.
Seven male patients were identified with a median age of 44 years (range 26-61). All were employed in small kitchen and bathroom benchtop fabrication businesses with an average of eight employees (range 2-20). All workplaces primarily used artificial stone, and dust control measures were poor. All patients were involved in dry cutting artificial stone. The median duration of exposure prior to symptoms was 7 years (range 4-10). Six patients demonstrated radiological features of progressive massive fibrosis. These individuals followed up over a median follow-up period of 16 months (IQR 21 months) demonstrated rapid decline in prebronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s of 386 mL/year (SD 204 mL) and forced vital capacity of 448 mL/year (SD 312 mL).
This series of silicosis in Australian workers further demonstrates the risk-associated high-silica content artificial stone. Effective dust control and health surveillance measures need to be stringently implemented and enforced in this industry.
人造石是一种越来越受欢迎的用于制造厨房和浴室台面的材料。切割和打磨人造石会产生极高含量的可吸入结晶二氧化硅，与此暴露相关的严重矽肺病例数量正在迅速增加。
报告一系列澳大利亚人造石相关矽肺工人的临床特征。
呼吸内科医生自愿报告在其临床实践中确诊的人造石相关矽肺病例。医生提供了职业史、呼吸功能测试、胸部放射学和组织病理学报告（如有）等信息。
确定了7名男性患者，中位年龄为44岁（范围26 - 61岁）。他们均受雇于小型厨房和浴室台面制造企业，平均企业员工数为8人（范围2 - 20人）。所有工作场所主要使用人造石，且粉尘控制措施不佳。所有患者都参与了人造石的干切工作。出现症状前的中位暴露时长为7年（范围4 - 10年）。6名患者表现出进行性大块纤维化的放射学特征。这些患者在中位随访期16个月（四分位间距21个月）内，支气管扩张剂使用前1秒用力呼气量以每年386毫升（标准差204毫升）的速度快速下降，用力肺活量以每年448毫升（标准差312毫升）的速度快速下降。
这一系列澳大利亚工人的矽肺病例进一步证明了与高硅含量人造石相关的风险。该行业需要严格实施和执行有效的粉尘控制及健康监测措施。
