An attempt to determine a medium-term, low-dose asbestos exposure indicator on the basis of clinical and radiological lung changes.

Three groups of people working in buildings with insufficient protection against sources of asbestos (ceilings, lagging, cupboards, etc.) have been compared by clinical and radiological examinations. The first group, G1 (n = 160), comprised people working in direct contact with sources of asbestos; the second one, G2 (n = 277), comprised people who had worked for at least 10 years in buildings with little protection; and the third one, G3 (n = 157), may be considered a control group, since the only period of exposure was while the buildings were being constructed. The prevalence of lung abnormalities (clinical, functional and radiological) was higher in G1 than in G3; G2 was closer to G1 for some signs, but closer to G3 for most. These differences are no explained by obvious possible confounding factors (such as age, sex or tobacco consumption). They were analysed taking the number of years of presence in the buildings into account.