A cross-sectional study of pulmonary function in carbon black workers in the United States.
Since a proportion of airborne carbon black particles is of respirable size, the possibility that it may affect pulmonary function was investigated in 913 employees of 6 carbon black producers in the United States. Exposure was estimated by combining the mean total dust exposures of each job category with the length of time workers had spent in each job, giving a measurement expressed in mg/m3.months. Pulmonary function was measured by spirometry. The major variables affecting pulmonary function were age and cigarette smoking. When the effects of age and smoking were controlled in an age-specific, two-way analysis of variance, no consistent effects of total dust exposure were detectable in these workers. This study provided no evidence that exposure to total dust under the conditions pertaining in the contemporary carbon black industry had detrimental effects on the pulmonary function of men employed in the production and handling of this product.
Robertson
J M
JM
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Diaz
J F
JF
Fyfe
I M
IM
Ingalls
T H
TH
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002244:Carbon; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004391:Dust / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008448:Maximal Expiratory Flow Rate; D008875:Middle Aged; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014481:United States; D014797:Vital Capacity
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust; D002244:Carbon