ORIGINAL PAPER
Asbestos related diseases among workers of asbestos processing plants in relation to type of production and asbestos use
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Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine / Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera, Łódź, Poland
(Department of Environmental Epidemiology / Zakład Epidemiologii Środowiskowej)
Corresponding author
Neonila Szeszenia-Dąbrowska
Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine,
Department of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, św. Teresy 8, 91-348 Łódź, Poland
Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2015;66(1):1-9
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Background: Asbestos dust is one of the most dangerous pneumoconiotic and carcinogenic agents. The aim of this study was to
assess the occurrence of asbestosis and pleural mesothelioma, depending on asbestos consumption and the type of manufactured
products, among former asbestos workers in Poland. Material and Methods: The study subjects included employees of 18 large
state-owned asbestos processing enterprises operating in the Polish market in 1945–1998. The study is based on data obtained
from asbestos company records and the Central Register of Occupational Diseases data on the cases of asbestosis and mesothelioma
for the period from 1970 till 2012 as well as data from Amiantus Programme. The analysis was performed for 5 sectors
comprising plants classified according to the products manufactured and applied production technology. Results: In the study
period, 2160 cases of asbestosis and 138 cases of mesothelioma were reported. The plants processed a total of about 2 million
tonnes of asbestos, including about 7.5% of crocidolite. Total asbestos consumption was a strong predictor of the rate of asbestosis
incidence (R2 = 0.68, p = 0.055). The highest risk occurrence of asbestosis was observed in the production of textiles and sealing
products. Mesothelioma occurred only in plants where crocidolite had been ever processed. Conclusions: Total asbestos consumption
was a strong predictor of the rate of asbestosis incidence. The observation confirms the relationship between exposure
to crocidolite and the occurrence of mesothelioma, regardless of the manufactured products, and suggests the absence of such
a link for the total volume of asbestos consumption. Med Pr 2015;66(1):1–9