Prevalence of respiratory morbidity in Brisbane waterside workers. A study of possible asbestos-related disease.
Ninety-eight Brisbane waterside workers who had been exposed to several dusts, particularly that of asbestos fibre, were studied. Forty-nine subjects complained of dyspnoea while walking uphill, 46 had basal endinspiratory crepitations, and chest X-ray films showed small irregular opacities in 41 subjects and pleural abnormalities in 27 subjects. Internal comparisons showed that ventilatory function was correlated significantly with duration of employment on the wharves, independently of the effect of age and total cigarette consumption. Forced vital capacity decreased by 20 mL/year on wharves, and one-second forced expiratory volume by 34 mL/year, in excess of the age-related decrease. These findings suggest that these workers have developed parenchymal lung disease probably related to asbestos-dust exposure on the wharves.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001315:Australia; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012907:Smoking