Background Agglomerated quartz stone is a popular new stone material, and silicosis associated with its processing has been reported many times.
Objective This article aims to improve the understanding of the severity of silicosis in that industry by analysis of clinical characteristcs of silicosis caused by agglomerated quartz stone processing, related working environment, and installed protectve measures.
Methods Workplace environment, air dust components and concentrations, dust protective measures, as well as patents' dust exposure duraton, symptoms, radiological images, and lung functons were retrospectvely analyzed in agglomerated quartz associated silicosis patents with abnormal CT scan results from January 2015 to December 2018 in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital.
Results All subjects (n=98) were migrant workers, and 86 cases (87.8%) worked in unregistered workshops without any dust protectve equipment. The average air dust concentratons in workshops and countertop installaton sites were (351.0±30.76) mg/m3 and (127.6±17.36) mg/m3, respectvely. The content of α-quartz in the dust samples ranged from 70% to 99%. Respiratory symptoms such as cough and exertional dyspnea were the main causes of hospital visit in 79 (80.6%) patents. There were 23 patents who reexamined chest X-ray 2 months to 2 years afer the frst chest radiograph; among them 13 (56.5%) patents were advanced from a lower stage to a higher stage with a median time (range) of 0.8 years (from 2 months to 2 years). The manifestatons of CT scans in all subjects were mainly extensive nodules, ground glass opacites, massive fbrosis, patchy shadows, nodule coalescence, emphysema, and bullae. Besides, 22 cases (22.4%) were complicated with pneumothorax and 8 cases (8.2%) with cavity in lung. Among the 67 patents who reexamined chest CT scan 2 months to 2 years afer the frst chest CT scan, 60 (89.6%) patents showed increased nodules, massive fbrosis shadows, aggregated emphysema, or cavity in lung in CT scans.
Conclusion Accelerated silicosis caused by agglomerated quartz plate processing dust is a serious disease of short dust exposure duration, severe results, frequent complications, rapid progress, and poor prognosis; therefore, it is urgent to conduct occupational health educaton and strengthen legal supervision in the new type stone materials industry.
DownLoad: