title: Environmental monitoring of asbestos products manufacturing units--a case study.
abstract: Air borne asbestos dust concentration and occupational health environment of workers in a asbestos products manufacturing unit was monitored, and compared with the standards. Study reveals that overall airborne asbestos concentration in the unit is well within the limit, but the workers, which were exposed to air borne asbestos dust, showed a marked increase in deterioration of lung function as compared to the control population, which was not exposed to this dust. Further more, the population which was exposed to airborne asbestos dust along with other predisposing factors like cigarette smoking, showed a marked deterioration of lung function as compared to the population exposed only to air borne asbestos dust.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Engg., Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu.
authors.forename: Ajay Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gautam
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yunus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: S Sreedhar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D001194:Asbestos / Q000032:analysis*; D015897:Comorbidity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D001194:Asbestos