What is Occupational
Lung Disease?
Occupational Lung Disease can best be defined as complications of
the human lung(s) that arise out of the inhalation of respirable
dust or chemicals in the workplace. This may include industrial
bronchitis, asbestosis, coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP or "black
lung"), reactive airways disease (RADS), silicosis, siderosis
("welders lung"), allergic airways diseases, occupational
asthma, lung cancer, to name some of the more common causes.
Here are most of the types of Occupational Lung
Disease:
• Occupational Lung Cancer is caused by breathing in
carcinogens like asbestos, some petroleum-related carbon compounds
and other chemicals. It is widely accepted that coal does not cause
lung cancer. A wide range of occupational areas are affected. The
ALA estimates that this disease can be attributed to over 15,000
deaths a year.
• Coal workers' pneumoconiosis, or "Black Lung
Disease," is caused by the inhalation of coal dust from a coal
mine. Pneumoconiosis is not reversible. There are two stages to
this disease, simple pneumoconiosis and complicated pneumoconiosis.
Simple pneumoconiosis generally does not affect work capacity in
the early stages and is usually only a chest radiograph curiosity.
In fact, according to the American Thoracic Society, older workers
in a low dust environment with a minimally positive chest xray can
be permitted to continue in the same environment with continued
monitoring. In some miners the disease becomes more severe, entering
the complicated stage. Complicated pneumoconiosis, or Progressive
Massive Fibrosis, is more likely to be disabling of normal function.
This disease generally affects coal miners. The American Lung Association
[ALA] estimates that just under 1,000 people die from this disease
every year.
• Asbestosis, or a progressive form of the exposure
to asbestos fibers in asbestos, is a disease that creates scarred
lungs. This disease generally affects construction workers. The
ALA estimates just over 200 deaths per year as a result of this
condition.
• Byssinosis, or "Brown Lung Disease," is
a condition that is created by reaction to inhaled plant fibers,
which creates a major problem to the normal function of the lungs.
The dusts from cotton processing, flax, and hemp cause this condition.
This disease generally affects textile workers. The ALA estimates
that about 10 people a year die from this disease.
• Silicosis is a condition that arises as a result of
long-term exposure to free crystalline silica that resides in a
variety of locations, including mines, foundries, stone/clay/glass
manufacturing, and blasting operations. It can be noted that Silicosis
increases the risk of additional lung conditions to develop, particularly
tuberculosis. This condition affects foundry, manufacturing, and
blasting workers mostly. Interestinlgly, much of the condition known
as Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis or Black Lung is actually caused
by silica in the coal mine environment. The ALA notes just under
200 deaths a year as a result of this disease.
• Occupational Asthma, are asthmatic attacks triggered
by the exposure of dusts, vapors, gases or fumes specific to the
job site. These cases represent about 15% of adult asthma cases.
This disease affects those that have pre-dispositions towards being
asthmatic and around these substances. The ALA does not estimate
the number of deaths per year probably because of the huge number
of "garden variety" asthma cases in the American population.
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is the result of the
breathing in spores of fungus from bird droppings, moldy hay, or
other organic dusts. After repreated exposure, inflamation occurs
in the lung's air sacs. This could start a building-up of fibrous
scar tissue in the lung itself. Parts of the lungs may then cease
to function normally. The ALA does not estimate the number of deaths
per year.
Sources:
Occupational Lung Disease Sources
American Lung Association website
[http://www.lungusa.org/diseases/occupational_factsheet.html]
Coal workers' pneumoconiosis Sources
Center for Disease Control website
[http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blung_q2.html]
National Library of Medicine website
[http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000130.htm#contentDescription]
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