Implications of different fiber measures for epidemiologic studies of man-made vitreous fibers.
BACKGROUND
Several researchers have proposed fiber size ranges representing hypotheses about the biological activity of fibers. Each of these indices has a biologically plausible rationale, yet they propose different fiber dimensions.


METHODS
Four biologically based and one standard fiber analytic method index, the NIOSH 7400 method with B rules, were evaluated in air monitoring data collected in a variety of fiber glass (FG) manufacturing settings to determine their impact on an assessment of fiber exposure for an epidemiologic study of the risk of respiratory cancer among FG production workers.


RESULTS
All indices varied considerably within and among the range of fiber size distributions sampled in the FG factories.


CONCLUSIONS
The asymptotic relative efficiencies (R(2)) calculated among the five indices indicate a potentially important loss of power from the use of the standard method index, if one of the biologically based indices is more closely related to the disease outcome in an epidemiologic study.
Quinn
M M
MM
Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 1 University Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854, USA. margaret_quinn@uml.edu
Smith
T J
TJ
Eisen
E A
EA
Wegman
D H
DH
Ellenbecker
M J
MJ
D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D019016:Mineral Fibers; D016272:Occupational Health
D019016:Mineral Fibers