Exposure to respirable dust and crystalline silica in bricklaying education at Dutch vocational training centers

Huizer, Daan; Spee, Ton; Lumens, Mieke E. G. L.; Kromhout, Hans

doi:10.1002/ajim.20823

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…40 The predominant past (and present) exposure for bricklayers is crystalline silica in the form of quartz dust, which concerns a substantial fraction (almost 20%) of the workforce in the construction industry 2 and occurs frequently during several tasks (concrete mixing, cutting, drilling, sandblasting, demolishing and cleaning). 41,42 Moreover, industrial hygiene assessments in several countries reported exposure concentrations of respirable crystalline silica for bricklayers above the exposure limit of 0.025 mg/m 3 (respirable quartz) [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53] currently recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). A quantitative job-exposure matrix developed for SYNERGY estimated for bricklayers exposures to respirable crystalline silica in 1998 ranging from 0.02 to 0.07 mg/m 3 .…”

Section: Literature Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lung cancer risk among bricklayers in a pooled analysis of case–control studies

et al. 2014

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Bricklayers may be exposed to several lung carcinogens, including crystalline silica and asbestos. Previous studies that analyzed lung cancer risk among these workers had several study design limitations. We examined lung cancer risk among bricklayers within SYNERGY, a large international pooled analysis of case–control studies on lung cancer and the joint effects of occupational carcinogens. For men ever employed as bricklayers we estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for study center, age, lifetime smoking history and employment in occupations with exposures to known or suspected lung carcinogens. Among 15,608 cases and 18,531 controls, there were 695 cases and 469 controls who had ever worked as bricklayers (OR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.28–1.68). In studies using population controls the OR was 1.55 (95% CI: 1.32–1.81, 540/349 cases/controls), while it was 1.24 (95% CI: 0.93–1.64, 155/120 cases/controls) in hospital-based studies. There was a clear positive trend with length of employment (p < 0.001). The relative risk was higher for squamous (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.42–1.98, 309 cases) and small cell carcinomas (OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.44–2.20, 140 cases), than for adenocarcinoma (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.95–1.43, 150 cases) (p-homogeneity: 0.0007). ORs were still elevated after additional adjustment for education and in analyses using blue collar workers as referents. This study provided robust evidence of increased lung cancer risk in bricklayers. Although non-causal explanations cannot be completely ruled out, the association is plausible in view of the potential for exposure to several carcinogens, notably crystalline silica and to a lesser extent asbestos.What's new?In their work, bricklayers can be exposed to various airborne carcinogens, including crystalline silica and asbestos. Previous studies of cancer risk have not accounted for full employment history or smoking status, and failed to establish a firm relationship between bricklaying and lung cancer. In this study, the authors used data from the largest collection of case-control studies on lung cancer with complete occupational and smoking history existing today, the SYNERGY project. They found clear evidence that lung cancer risk increases in proportion to the length of time spent working as a bricklayer, paving the way for better protection and compensation for those in this occupation.

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Section: Literature Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lung cancer risk among bricklayers in a pooled analysis of case–control studies

et al. 2014

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“…A recent study on respirable dust exposure in bricklaying education institutions pointed however also towards sweeping as one of the major causes of high exposure levels. 22 When measuring a more specific exposure (e.g. quartz exposure), type of material appeared to be the strongest determinant of exposure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personal exposure to inhalable cement dust among construction workers

et al. 2009

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Objective- A case study was carried out to assess cement dust exposure and its determinants among construction workers and for comparison among workers in cement and concrete production.Methods- Full-shift personal exposure measurements were performed and samples were analysed for inhalable dust and its cement content. Exposure variability was modelled with linear mixed models.Results- Inhalable dust concentrations at the construction site ranged from 0.05 to 34 mg/m(3), with a mean of 1.0 mg/m(3). Average concentration for inhalable cement dust was 0.3 mg/m(3) (GM; range 0.02-17 mg/m(3)). Levels in the ready-mix and pre-cast concrete plants were on average 0.5 mg/m(3) (GM) for inhalable dust and 0.2 mg/m(3) (GM) for inhalable cement dust. Highest concentrations were measured in cement production, particularly during cleaning tasks (inhalable dust GM = 55 mg/m(3); inhalable cement dust GM = 33 mg/m(3)) at which point the workers wore personal protective equipment. Elemental measurements showed highest but very variable cement percentages in the cement plant and very low percentages during reinforcement work and pouring. Most likely other sources were contributing to dust concentrations, particularly at the construction site. Within job groups, temporal variability in exposure concentrations generally outweighed differences in average concentrations between workers. 'Using a broom', 'outdoor wind speed' and 'presence of rain' were overall the most influential factors affecting inhalable (cement) dust exposure.Conclusion- Job type appeared to be the main predictor of exposure to inhalable (cement) dust at the construction site. Inhalable dust concentrations in cement production plants, especially during cleaning tasks, are usually considerably higher than at the construction site.

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