Silicosis in Artificial Quartz Conglomerate Workers

González, Cristina Martínez; González, Amador Prieto; Alfonso, Lucía García; Fernández, L.; Bernardo, Ariel Moreda; Álvarez, Ramón Fernández; Rollé, Valeria; Ravina, A; Clarà, Pere Casan

doi:10.1016/j.arbr.2019.07.001

Cited by 20 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Silicosis is induced by chronic occupational exposure to quartz [3][4][5] and found in individuals such as mining 2,6 , ceramic 7 , and artificial quartz conglomerate workers 8 , who are involved in the manufacture, finishing, and installation of artificial stone countertops 9 . The risk of silicosis induced by occupational exposure to 0.05-0.10 mg/m 3 of quartz in a lifetime has shown large variability (2-90%).…”

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confidence: 99%

Single Intratracheal Quartz Instillation Induced Chronic Inflammation and Tumourigenesis in Rat Lungs

Nakano‐Narusawa

Yokohira

Yamakawa

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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crystalline silica (quartz) is known to induce silicosis and cancer in the lungs. in the present study, we investigated the relationship between quartz-induced chronic inflammation and lung carcinogenesis in rat lungs after a single exposure to quartz. F344 rats were treated with a single intratracheal instillation (i.t.) of quartz (4 mg/rat), and control rats were treated with a single i.t. of saline. After 52 or 96 weeks, the animals were sacrificed, and the lungs and other organs were used for analyses. Quartz particles were observed in the lungs of all quartz-treated rats. According to our scoring system, the lungs of rats treated with quartz had higher scores for infiltration of lymphocytes, macrophages and neutrophils, oedema, fibrosis, and granuloma than the lungs of control rats. After 96 weeks, the quartz-treated rats had higher incidences of adenoma (85.7%) and adenocarcinoma (81.0%) than control rats (20% and 20%, respectively). Quartz-treated and control rats did not show lung neoplastic lesions at 52 weeks after treatment. The number of lung neoplastic lesions per rat positively correlated with the degree of macrophage and lymphocyte infiltration, oedema, fibrosis, and lymph follicle formation around the bronchioles. In conclusion, single i.t. of quartz may induce lung cancer in rat along with chronic inflammation.

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confidence: 99%

Single Intratracheal Quartz Instillation Induced Chronic Inflammation and Tumourigenesis in Rat Lungs

Nakano‐Narusawa

Yokohira

Yamakawa

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…Emerging clinical data have begun to challenge our understanding of the pathobiology and natural history of silica‐related lung disease. What was once considered an indolent ‘chronic’ fibrosing lung disease affecting workers with long‐term natural respirable silica dust exposure 1 appears to manifest a more aggressive and accelerated clinical phenotype in individuals working with artificial stone 11,12,15,17,20 . Of concern, affected stone workers may progress rapidly to advanced respiratory failure 12,15,16,18 and in the absence of any existing disease‐modifying therapeutic options, transplant‐free survival remains poor 16 .…”

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confidence: 99%

Alveolar crystal burden in stone workers with artificial stone silicosis

et al. 2022

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Background and objective An epidemic of silicosis has emerged due to a failure to control risks associated with exposure to high‐silica content respirable dust generated while working with artificial stone products. Methods for quantification of alveolar crystal burden are needed to advance our understanding of the pathobiology of silica‐related lung injury as well as assisting in the diagnosis, clinical management and prognostication of affected workers. The objective of this study was to develop and validate novel methods to quantify alveolar crystal burden in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from patients with artificial stone silicosis. Methods New methods to quantify and analyse alveolar crystal in BAL from patients with artificial stone silicosis were developed. Crystals were isolated and counted by microscopy and alveolar crystal burden was calculated using a standard curve generated by titration of respirable α‐Quartz. The utility of the assay was then assessed in 23 patients with artificial stone silicosis. Results Alveolar crystal burden was greater in patients with silicosis (0.44 picograms [pg]/cell [0.08–3.49]) compared to patients with other respiratory diagnoses (0.057 pg/cell [0.01–0.34]; p < 0.001). Alveolar crystal burden was positively correlated with years of silica exposure (ρ = 0.49, p = 0.02) and with decline in diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (ρ = −0.50, p = 0.02). Conclusion Alveolar crystal burden quantification differentiates patients with silicosis from patients with other respiratory disorders. Furthermore, crystal burden is correlated with the rate of decline in lung function in patients with artificial stone silicosis.

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“…Silicosis among stonemasons in the AS benchtop fabrication and installation industry has been reported ( Qi and Echt, 2016 ; Johnson et al , 2017 ) with increasing frequency since 2011 ( Leso et al , 2019 ). Affected workers have been frequently reported to be young and still actively employed ( Hoy et al , 2018 ; Leso et al , 2019 ; Martínez González et al , 2019 ). In Australia, some of these young workers have been diagnosed with a rapidly advancing silicosis, accelerated silicosis , and have required lung transplant ( Levin et al , 2019 ; Newbigin et al , 2019 ; Jones et al , 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silica Exposure Estimates in Artificial Stone Benchtop Fabrication and Adverse Respiratory Outcomes

Glass

Dimitriadis

Hansen

et al. 2021

Annals of Work Exposures and Health

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Silicosis is being increasingly reported among young stonemasons in the artificial stone (AS) benchtop fabrication and installation industry. Respiratory health screening, which included a job and exposure history, a chest X-ray (CXR), a respiratory health questionnaire, and gas transfer testing, were offered to stonemasons in Victoria, Australia. Workers typically reported a variety of tasks, including cleaning and labouring, which made exposure assessment complex. We estimated the relative respirable crystalline silica exposure intensity of each job from the proportion of time using AS and the proportion of time doing dry work (work without water suppression). The relative average intensity of exposure for up to five jobs was calculated. Cumulative exposure was calculated as the sum of the duration multiplied by intensity for each job. Installers and factory machinists (other than computer numeric control operators) were the most likely to report dry work with AS, and so had a greater average intensity of exposure. Exposure intensity and cumulative exposure were associated with increased odds of an ILO (International Labour Organisation) CXR profusion major category of ≥1 and with dyspnoea. Exposure duration was also associated with ILO profusion category. In multivariate analyses of health outcomes, only job type was associated with the ILO profusion category. For both most recent and longest-duration job types, when compared to the lowest exposure group, factory machinists were more likely to have an ILO category ≥1. This suggests that intensity of exposure estimated from the proportion of time dry cutting and proportion of time working on AS can predict the risk of adverse respiratory outcomes for workers in this industry.

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Silicosis in Artificial Quartz Conglomerate Workers

Cited by 20 publications

References 24 publications

Single Intratracheal Quartz Instillation Induced Chronic Inflammation and Tumourigenesis in Rat Lungs

Single Intratracheal Quartz Instillation Induced Chronic Inflammation and Tumourigenesis in Rat Lungs

Alveolar crystal burden in stone workers with artificial stone silicosis

Silica Exposure Estimates in Artificial Stone Benchtop Fabrication and Adverse Respiratory Outcomes

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