Exposure to Biogenic Silica Fibers and Respiratory Health in Hawaii Sugarcane Workers

We conducted a cross-sectional environmental and medical survey of 355 male sugarcane workers in Hawaii to determine whether exposure to biogenic silica fibers (BSF) affected their respiratory health. Exposures to BSF ranged from nondetectable to more than 0.700 BSF/mL and varied by job and departme...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 1994-12, Vol.36 (12), p.1329-1334
Main Authors: Sinks, Thomas, Hartle, Richard, Boeniger, Mark, Mannino, David, Boyd, James E., Fernback, Joseph, Hawkins, Marilyn, Grimes, Gary, Watkins, Kathleen L., Dill, Patricia, Anderson, Bruce
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Asbestos
Biological and medical sciences
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Cross-Sectional Studies
Flowers & plants
Hawaii
Humans
Inorganic dusts (pneumoconiosises) and organic dusts (byssinosis etc.)
Male
Medical research
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Occupational Exposure
Occupational hazards
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Respiration
Respiratory system
Saccharum officinarum
Silicon Dioxide
Toxicology
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Summary:We conducted a cross-sectional environmental and medical survey of 355 male sugarcane workers in Hawaii to determine whether exposure to biogenic silica fibers (BSF) affected their respiratory health. Exposures to BSF ranged from nondetectable to more than 0.700 BSF/mL and varied by job and department. Respiratory symptoms, chest radiograph findings, and pulmonary function were not associated with BSF exposures. Cigarette smoking was associated with respiratory symptoms and pulmonary obstruction. Fifteen workers had pleural thickening or pleural plaques and 3 of these workers were exposed to BSF for more than 10 years. BSF exposure does not appear to influence the respiratory health of sugarcane workers; however, further study is warranted.
ISSN:0096-1736
1076-2752
2332-3795
1536-5948
DOI:10.1097/00043764-199412000-00014