ILO Home
Go to the home page
Site map | Contact us Français | Español

CISDOC database

Document ID (ISN)109338
CIS number 09-322
ISSN - Serial title 0340-0131 - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
Year 2007
Convention or series no. Neghab M.
Author(s) Rahimi E., Emad A., Rajaeei Fard A.R.
Title An epidemiological study of talc-related respiratory morbidity among employees of a rubber industry in Shiraz-Iran
Bibliographic information May 2007, Vol.80, No.6, p.539-546. 26 ref.
Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess and characterize the pulmonary reactions associated with occupational exposure to talc dust. It involved ninety-seven talc workers and 110 unexposed employees of a rubber industry in Shiraz, Iran. Standardized respiratory questionnaires were administered to the subjects, they underwent chest X-ray and were examined by a specialist for any possible respiratory abnormality to be diagnosed. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were also performed just before and after the work shift. Moreover, to assess the extent to which workers had been exposed to talc dust, inhalable and respirable dust concentrations were measured in different worksites. Talc exposed subjects had a significantly higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms. Similarly, PFTs revealed that exposure to this lubricating agent was associated with significant decreases in the mean percentage predicted of vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1). Moreover, there was an acute reduction in some parameters of pulmonary function such as VC, FVC and FEV1, over the work shift. Chest radiographs of exposed workers showed that pneumoconiosis profusions were between p 0/0 and p 2/1 according to the ILO 1980 chest X-ray classification. These results that are in full agreement with preliminary observations and support the notion that occupational inhalation exposure to talc is associated with both acute and chronic respiratory disorders and induces bronchitis and interstitial lung disease.
Descriptors (primary) airborne dust; rubber industry; pulmonary function; morbidity; talc
Descriptors (secondary) Iran; epidemiology; pulmonary fibrosis; chest radiography; case-control study; respiratory function tests; frequency rates; respirable dust
Document type D - Periodical articles
Country / State or ProvinceIran, Islamic Republic of
Subject(s) Chemicals, plastics and rubber
Broad subject area(s) Chemical safety
Occupational medicine, epidemiology
Browse category(ies) Rubber industry