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Cureus Apr 2023This narrative review aims to determine if asbestos-containing materials in buildings pose a hazard to building occupants in non-occupational settings. This paper is... (Review)
Review
Does the Presence of Asbestos-Containing Materials in Buildings Post-construction and Before Demolition Have an Impact on the Exposure to Occupants in Non-occupational Settings?
This narrative review aims to determine if asbestos-containing materials in buildings pose a hazard to building occupants in non-occupational settings. This paper is limited to the post-construction and pre-demolition stages of a building. The researchers selected 19 studies from the 126 studies screened, concerning exposure to asbestos fibers in non-occupational building settings, with a focus on post-construction and pre-demolition phases. The literature review found that certain conditions, such as the measurement techniques, standards, and previous data availability, prevent a conclusive answer to the research question. Some studies have pointed towards an effect of asbestos-containing materials on health of occupants in non-occupational settings. But, there are some that do not suggest a positive relationship between non-occupational exposure and the presence of asbestos-containing materials, and therefore these provide scope for further research, as these studies also do not rule out the relationship completely. The present study highlights the gaps in current knowledge and indicates areas for further research. Until conclusive evidence based on revised threshold standards and accurate measurement techniques is available, asbestos-containing materials may be considered unsafe for use in non-occupational settings, especially ones that young people and children occupy.
PubMed: 37168168
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.37305 -
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Oct 2023Exposure to dust from the mining environment has historically resulted in epidemic levels of mortality and morbidity from pneumoconiotic diseases such as silicosis, coal... (Review)
Review
Exposure to dust from the mining environment has historically resulted in epidemic levels of mortality and morbidity from pneumoconiotic diseases such as silicosis, coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), and asbestosis. Studies have shown that CWP remains a critical issue at collieries across the globe, with some countries facing resurgent patterns of the disease and additional pathologies from long-term exposure. Compliance measures to reduce dust exposure rely primarily on the assumption that all "fine" particles are equally toxic irrespective of source or chemical composition. For several ore types, but more specifically coal, such an assumption is not practical due to the complex and highly variable nature of the material. Additionally, several studies have identified possible mechanisms of pathogenesis from the minerals and deleterious metals in coal. The purpose of this review was to provide a reassessment of the perspectives and strategies used to evaluate the pneumoconiotic potency of coal mine dust. Emphasis is on the physicochemical characteristics of coal mine dust such as mineralogy/mineral chemistry, particle shape, size, specific surface area, and free surface area-all of which have been highlighted as contributing factors to the expression of pro-inflammatory responses in the lung. The review also highlights the potential opportunity for more holistic risk characterisation strategies for coal mine dust, which consider the mineralogical and physicochemical aspects of the dust as variables relevant to the current proposed mechanisms for CWP pathogenesis.
Topics: Humans; Dust; Pneumoconiosis; Coal Mining; Coal; Minerals; Occupational Exposure
PubMed: 37131112
DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01583-y -
Seminars in Respiratory and Critical... Jun 2023Lung diseases caused by workplace exposure are too often mis- or underdiagnosed due in part to nonexistent or inadequate health surveillance programs for workers. Many...
Lung diseases caused by workplace exposure are too often mis- or underdiagnosed due in part to nonexistent or inadequate health surveillance programs for workers. Many of these diseases are indistinguishable from those that occur in the general population and are not recognized as being caused at least in part by occupational exposures. More than 10% of all lung diseases are estimated to result from workplace exposures. This study reviews recent estimates of the burden of the most important occupational lung diseases using data published by United Nations specialized agencies as well as the Global Burden of Disease studies. We focus on occupational chronic respiratory disease of which chronic obstructive lung disease and asthma are the most significant. Among occupational cancers, lung cancer is the most common, and is associated with more than 10 important workplace carcinogens. Classic occupational interstitial lung diseases such as asbestosis, silicosis, and coal workers' pneumoconiosis still comprise a substantial burden of disease in modern industrial societies, while other occupational causes of pulmonary fibrosis and granulomatous inflammation are frequently misclassified as idiopathic. Occupational respiratory infections gained prominence during the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, eclipsing influenza and tuberculosis and other less common workplace infectious agents. The most significant risks are workplace exposures to particulate matter, gases, and fumes as well as occupational carcinogens and asthmagens. We present data on the burden of disease measured by deaths attributable to occupational respiratory disease as well as disability-adjusted years of life lost. Where available, prevalence and incidence data are also presented. These diseases are unique in that they are theoretically 100% preventable if appropriate exposure controls and workplace medical surveillance are implemented. This remains a continuing challenge globally and requires steadfast commitment on the part of government, industry, organized labor, and the medical profession.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Occupational Diseases; Lung Diseases, Interstitial; Occupational Exposure; Lung Neoplasms; Carcinogens
PubMed: 37072021
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1766117 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jul 2023Asbestos is a group of six major silicate minerals that belong to the serpentine and amphibole families, and include chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite,... (Review)
Review
Asbestos is a group of six major silicate minerals that belong to the serpentine and amphibole families, and include chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite. Weathering and human disturbance of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) can lead to the emission of asbestos dust, and the inhalation of respirable asbestos fibrous dust can lead to 'mesothelioma' cancer and other diseases, including the progressive lung disease called 'asbestosis'. There is a considerable legacy of in-situ ACMs in the built environment, and it is not practically or economically possible to safely remove ACMs from the built environment. The aim of the review is to examine the three approaches used for the sustainable management of hazardous ACMs in the built environment: containment, stabilization, and inertization or destruction. Most of the asbestos remaining in the built environment can be contained in a physically secured form so that it does not present a significant health risk of emitting toxic airborne fibres. In settings where safe removal is not practically feasible, stabilization and encapsulation can provide a promising solution, especially in areas where ACMs are exposed to weathering or disturbance. Complete destruction and inertization of asbestos can be achieved by thermal decomposition using plasma and microwave radiation. Bioremediation and chemical treatment (e.g., ultrasound with oxalic acid) have been found to be effective in the inertization of ACMs. Technologies that achieve complete destruction of ACMs are found to be attractive because the treated products can be recycled or safely disposed of in landfills.
PubMed: 37062308
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163456 -
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Jul 2023Asbestos bodies (AB) form in the lungs as a result of a biomineralization process initiated by the alveolar macrophages in the attempt to remove asbestos. During this...
Asbestos bodies (AB) form in the lungs as a result of a biomineralization process initiated by the alveolar macrophages in the attempt to remove asbestos. During this process, organic and inorganic material deposit on the foreign fibers forming a Fe-rich coating. The AB start to form in months, thus quickly becoming the actual interface between asbestos and the lung tissue. Therefore, revealing their composition, and, in particular, the chemical form of Fe, which is the major component of the AB, is essential to assess their possible role in the pathogenesis of asbestos-related diseases. In this work we report the result of the first x-ray diffraction measurements performed on single AB embedded in the lung tissue samples of former asbestos plant workers. The combination with x-ray absorption spectroscopy data allowed to unambiguously reveal that Fe is present in the AB in the form of two Fe-oxy(hydroxides): ferrihydrite and goethite. The presence of goethite, which can be explained in terms of the transformation of ferrihydrite (a metastable phase) due to the acidic conditions induced by the alveolar macrophages in their attempt to phagocytose the fibers, has toxicological implications that are discussed in the paper.
Topics: Humans; Asbestosis; Asbestos; Lung
PubMed: 37058192
DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01557-0 -
Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North... May 2023Occupational exposures are directly causal or partially contributory to the development of interstitial lung diseases. A detailed occupational history, relevant... (Review)
Review
Occupational exposures are directly causal or partially contributory to the development of interstitial lung diseases. A detailed occupational history, relevant high-resolution computed tomography findings, and where relevant additional histopathology, are required to make a diagnosis. Treatment options are limited, and further exposure avoidance is likely to reduce disease progression.
Topics: Humans; Lung Diseases, Interstitial; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Exposure; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Lung; Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic
PubMed: 37055091
DOI: 10.1016/j.iac.2023.01.006 -
The Journal of Biological Chemistry May 2023Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive lung disease characterized by macrophage activation. Asbestos-induced expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate...
Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive lung disease characterized by macrophage activation. Asbestos-induced expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen oxidase 4 (NOX4) in lung macrophages mediates fibrotic progression by the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), modulating mitochondrial biogenesis, and promoting apoptosis resistance; however, the mechanism(s) by which NOX4 localizes to mitochondria during fibrosis is not known. Here, we show that NOX4 localized to the mitochondrial matrix following asbestos exposure in lung macrophages via direct interaction with TIM23. TIM23 and NOX4 interaction was found in lung macrophages from human subjects with asbestosis, while it was absent in mice harboring a conditional deletion of NOX4 in lung macrophages. This interaction was localized to the proximal transmembrane region of NOX4. Mechanistically, TIM23 augmented NOX4-induced mitochondrial ROS and metabolic reprogramming to oxidative phosphorylation. Silencing TIM23 decreased mitochondrial ROS and oxidative phosphorylation. These observations highlight the important role of the mitochondrial translocase TIM23 interaction with NOX4. Moreover, this interaction is required for mitochondrial redox signaling and metabolic reprogramming in lung macrophages.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mice; Fibrosis; Macrophages, Alveolar; Mitochondria; NADPH Oxidase 4; Reactive Oxygen Species
PubMed: 37044213
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104695 -
BMJ Open Apr 2023To describe the prevalence, clinical features and potential risk factors of pneumoconiosis in combination with connective tissue disease (CTD) or positive autoantibodies.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence, clinical features and potential risk factors of pneumoconiosis in combination with connective tissue disease (CTD) or positive autoantibodies.
DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.
SETTING
A retrospective study of adults recruited in China between December 2016 and November 2021.
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 931 patients with pneumoconiosis at Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital were enrolled in this study; of these, 580 patients were included in the final analysis.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Pneumoconiosis combined with CTD or positive autoantibodies was a major adverse outcome.
RESULTS
In total, 13.8% (80/580) of the patients had combined pneumoconiosis with CTD, among whom the prevalence of CTD was 18.3% (46/251) in asbestosis and 11.4% (34/298) in silicosis/coal mine workers' pneumoconiosis. In comparison to the general Chinese adult population, the relative risk of various CTD in pneumoconiosis, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, primary Sjögren's syndrome, idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated vasculitis, were 11.85, 12.12, 127.40, 4.23, 9.94 and 644.66, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that female sex (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.56 to 4.17) and a later stage of pneumoconiosis (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.24 to 3.34) were the independent risk factors for CTD in patients with pneumoconiosis (all p<0.050).
CONCLUSION
CTD is highly prevalent in patients with pneumoconiosis, especially in patients of asbestosis, and silicosis/coal mine workers' pneumoconiosis. Female sex and later stages of pneumoconiosis are associated with an increased risk of combined with CTD.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Female; Cross-Sectional Studies; Asbestosis; Retrospective Studies; Pneumoconiosis; Connective Tissue Diseases; Silicosis; Autoantibodies; Coal; China
PubMed: 37012009
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068628 -
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary... Nov 2022Industrial workers are exposed to dust and pollutants and thus they get occupational disorders when exposed for a long duration. Occupational diseases mainly affect the...
BACKGROUND
Industrial workers are exposed to dust and pollutants and thus they get occupational disorders when exposed for a long duration. Occupational diseases mainly affect the respiratory system more than other systems. Some of the respiratory occupation disorders are asbestosis, silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, work-related asthma, and so on, as the duration of exposure of pollutants increases the pulmonary function decreases.
METHOD
A total of 100 subjects working in the Brick factories near Wardha district, Maharashtra were examined using a portable spirometer. Their pulmonary function test was assessed three times and the best out of three values was taken. A pretested questionnaire was filled out by the workers which consisted of their sociodemographic details. Consent was obtained from all the subjects for this in their native language. Similarly, a pretested questionnaire was filled by 50 subjects among the normal population, that is, those not working in brick factories, and consent was obtained from all. And then, their pulmonary function test was carried out using a portable spirometer and the best out of the three values was taken. Statistical analysis was done by using descriptive and inferential statistics using the software.
RESULTS
As analyzed by the pulmonary function test data values collected among the brick factory workers and the control group, there was a significant decrease seen in the values of the pulmonary function test of brick factory workers. And as analyzed by the pulmonary function test values of smokers and non-smokers among the brick factory workers, it was seen that there was a significant value of 0.0001, thus a decrease in pulmonary function test among smokers.
CONCLUSION
In this study, we evaluate the respiratory function test among the brick factory workers and the control group and make the workers aware of the damage their habits have on their lung capacity and function based on the evaluation of the predicted and the actual value and thus helps them lead a better life. In this study, we also compare the values of pulmonary function tests among the brick factory workers and control groups.
PubMed: 36993005
DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_504_22 -
Genes Mar 2023Inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause lung inflammation and the later development of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, and the use of asbestos is banned in...
Inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause lung inflammation and the later development of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, and the use of asbestos is banned in many countries. In most countries, large amounts of asbestos exists within building stock, buried in landfills, and in contaminated soil. Mechanical, thermal, and chemical treatment options do exist, but these are expensive, and they are not effective for contaminated soil, where only small numbers of asbestos fibres may be present in a large volume of soil. Research has been underway for the last 20 years into the potential use of microbial action to remove iron and other metal cations from the surface of asbestos fibres to reduce their toxicity. To access sufficient iron for metabolism, many bacteria and fungi produce organic acids, or iron-chelating siderophores, and in a growing number of experiments these have been found to degrade asbestos fibres in vitro. This paper uses the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 16S amplicon sequencing to investigate the fungal and bacterial diversity found on naturally-occurring asbestos minerals, asbestos-containing building materials, and asbestos-contaminated soils with a view to later selectively culturing promising species, screening them for siderophore production, and testing them with asbestos fibres in vitro. After filtering, 895 ITS and 1265 16S amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) were detected across the 38 samples, corresponding to a range of fungal, bacteria, cyanobacterial, and lichenized fungal species. Samples from Auckland (North Island, New Zealand) asbestos cement, Auckland asbestos-contaminated soils, and raw asbestos rocks from Kahurangi National Park (South Island, New Zealand) were comprised of very different microbial communities. Five of the fungal species detected in this study are known to produce siderophores.
Topics: Siderophores; New Zealand; Asbestos; Iron; Bacteria; Soil
PubMed: 36981000
DOI: 10.3390/genes14030729