Historical total and respirable silica dust exposure levels in mines and pottery factories in China.
Historical exposure estimates of total dust and respirable silica were made in a recent nested case-referent study of lung cancer among mine and pottery workers in China. Exposure to total dust and respirable silica was assessed in 20 mines and 9 pottery factories. The average total dust concentration was 7.26 mg center dot m-3, with a range from 17.68 mg center dot m-3 in the 1950s to 3.85 mg center dot m-3 in the 1980s, while the average respirable silica dust was 1.22 mg center dot m-3, with a range from 3.89 mg center dot m-3 in the 1950s to 0.43 mg center dot m-3 in the 1980s. The highest respirable silica dust occurred in the underground mining operations (1.43 mg center dot m-3), particularly for manual drillers (9.03 mg center dot m-3). Among all facility types, tungsten mines had the highest respirable silica dust exposure (1.75 mg center dot m-3), while the lowest exposure occurred in copper-iron mines (0.32 mg center dot m-3).
Dosemeci
M
M
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
McLaughlin
J K
JK
Chen
J Q
JQ
Hearl
F
F
Chen
R G
RG
McCawley
M
M
Wu
Z
Z
Peng
K L
KL
Chen
A L
AL
Rexing
S H
SH
D002516:Ceramics; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008906:Mining / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors
D004391:Dust; D012822:Silicon Dioxide