New Occupational Exposures with Respiratory Effects

Abstract

Occupational exposure is one of the major risk factors for lung diseases globally. Although the aetiology and the course of major occupational lung diseases are well understood, the nature of lung diseases caused by new agents is still not well evaluated. The rise of interstitial and malignant lung diseases due to occupational exposures has caught global attention because either the causal agents are novel and the mode of action is poorly understood, or classical exposures have reappeared in a newer way, or the control measures are not implemented properly. With the introduction of new and innovative technologies, new agents such as indium compounds, diketones, nanomaterials, and physical processes such as hydraulic fracking are being introduced with substantially high deliberating effects on the workers' health. In this review, we summarise some new occupational exposures contributing to respiratory diseases and provide some recommendations for reducing the burden of occupational lung diseases.