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Occupational exposure to crystalline silica also causes diseases such as kidney disease, immune system problems, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, silicosis and lung cancer .
In conclusion, the average exposure to crystalline silica in carvers was higher than the permissible limit. Some workers were at risk of acquiring cancer and the majority of them were at an unacceptable non-cancerous risk. Therefore, it is necessary to implement engineering control measures and appropriate respiratory protection programs.
One of the most important ways of control is raising the awareness of workers and monitoring their work.
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There is a well established association between silica inhalational exposure and autoimmune disease, particularly in the context of intense exposure.Â
Silicosis increases susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. The newer industries of sand-blasting denim and engineered stone have been associated with alarmingly high rates of silicosis
A multinational registry has documented diagnostic details related to autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, autoimmune myositis, mixed connective tissue disease, psoriasis, and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis among individuals with silicosis.Â
Autoimmune disorders are induced by various environmental and occupational substances. Silica exposure is recognized as a causative factor for autoimmune disorders, with well established connections to conditions such as pulmonary fibrosis (silicosis), rheumatoid arthritis (Caplan's syndrome), systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and ANCA-related vasculitis/nephritis.
Understanding a person's occupational history to silica is an essential aspect for evaluating potential environmental factors that may contribute to autoimmune diseases.
#respirable crystalline silica dust#silica exposure#autoimmune diseases#kidney diseases#anca vasculitis#silicosis
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The investigators utilized genetic epidemiology and multimodal genomic analyses of data from the UK Biobank, validating it in FinnGen. Their study focused on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) moleculesâthe most diverse genes in the human genome and at the core of immune recognition.  These genes contain instructions to make proteins, which play a crucial role in presenting foreign antigens on cell surfaces. This process aids the immune system in identifying and eliminating threats such as cancer cells.
Surprisingly, the study found that individuals with heterozygosity (having different versions of a gene) at HLA-II, rather than HLA-I, experienced a decreased risk of lung cancer. This effect was particularly pronounced among smokers, a population already at higher risk for lung cancer due to exposure to carcinogens.
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With each breath, brick workers in Nepalâs Kathmandu Valley inhale dangerous particulates. From hazardous aerosols released during the brickmaking process and indoor cooking to emissions from vehicles and factories that seep into their homes, air pollution in the region is inescapable.
Concerned about the effects of these exposures, an interdisciplinary BYU team recently came together to conduct a research study in Nepal, aiming to measure brick workersâ exposure to pollutants and to assess their respiratory health. The eventual goal is to determine what information, technology and strategies they can develop with the Nepali people to help them improve their well-being.
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Why asbestos mulch crisis is just the tip of a lethal iceberg
Donât be fooled by the expert reassurances that only friable, or dusty, asbestos is dangerous. Itâs true that dust is the danger: inhaling the microscopic particles of asbestos dust can decades later result in the deadly cancers caused by asbestos, and no safe level of exposure has yet to be identified.
Non-friable or bonded asbestos, we are told, is safe. Thatâs true, assuming the glue still bonds the fibres and it remains undisturbed. But asbestos cement manufacturing in Australia ceased in the mid-1980s. That means the asbestos fibre cement in our buildings is now between 40 and 100 years old, and its bonding agent no longer glues the fibres together effectively. Tests around the world have demonstrated that such old asbestos cement is now past its used-by date. The bonding is no longer effective, and when the fibro is exposed to the wind and rain, it sheds fibres that scatter through the surrounding environment.
So the next time you walk past a decaying corrugated roof or fence, hold your breath!Â
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Ancient viruses that infected vertebrates hundreds of millions of years ago played a pivotal role in the evolution of our advanced brains and large bodies.
Next, they searched for RetroMyelin-like sequences in the genomes of other species, finding similar code in jawed vertebrates â fellow mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians â but not in jawless vertebrates or invertebrates.
This led them to believe the sequence appeared in the tree of life around the same time as jaws, which first evolved around 360 million years ago in the Devonian period, called the Age of Fishes.
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Contradictory to recognised asbestos exposure diseases, a deadly and progressive inflammatory fibrotic lung condition was emerging in Libby residents, eventually named Lamellar Pleural Thickening, or âLibby Diseaseâ. Simultaneously, systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis were occurring more frequently within this population, along with a high frequency of autoantibodies directed against the nucleus of the cell, so-called antinuclear autoantibodies.
Taken together, this provoked the notion that LAA may elicit an autoimmune response within exposed individuals and suggested that this altered response may lead to Libby Disease. Â
There is no doubt that environmental exposure to asbestos is an urgent public health matter, and the devastating effects which are still experienced to this day in Libby are a grim reminder of the ongoing dangers that this phenomenon poses.
There remains a need to raise awareness amongst clinicians working with autoimmune and general inflammatory diseases so that LAA exposure may be recognised at an earlier stage and considered as a possible cause, particularly since it is highly unlikely that this issue remains confined to the Libby area since millions of homes and buildings remain insulated with the material.
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There is a well established association between silica inhalational exposure and autoimmune disease, particularly in the context of intense exposure.
Recent findingsÂ
New industries such as jewelry polishing, denim jean production, fabrication of artificial stone benchtops, glass manufacturing and glassware has led to re-emergence of silicosis around the world.
Silicosis with long term exposure to dust containing crystalline silica has been examined as a possible risk factor with respect to several autoimmune diseases as scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, and some types of small vessel vasculitis with renal involvement.
The dust may act to promote or accelerate disease development, requiring some other factors to break immune tolerance or initiate autoimmunity.Â
Better understanding the mechanisms that involve silica -induced autoimmune diseases may contribute to early diagnosis.
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These chemicals (known as volatile organic compounds) can occur in gaseous form, which means we can inhale them. But thereâs a sub-group of volatile organic compounds, called semi-volatile organic compounds. These can occur both in gas form and absorbed on solid surfaces (including all indoor surfaces, as well as dust).
The harm a chemical causes differs depending on how it enters the body.
Ingested chemicals pass through the intestines and liver before entering the blood.
Inhaled chemicals first pass through the lungs where they may be absorbed directly into the blood.
Chemicals that penetrate the skin can also directly enter the bloodstream.
You donât even need to have an open wound, as the chemicals can be absorbed directly through the skin.
#volatile organic compounds#air pollution#indoor air#skin absorption#inhalation#ingestion#hazardous chemicals
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Blastomycosis is an infection caused by a group of fungi called Blastomyces. These infections usually happen when people breathe in spores that have been kicked up into the air from the soil or surrounding environment, though only some people will become sick as a result of exposure. Symptoms are often respiratory and include fever, cough, muscle aches, and fatigue. But the infection can sometimes spread beyond the lungs and cause severe, life-threatening illness, particularly in people with weakened immune systems.
The fungi are assumed to be endemic in parts of the midwestern, south-central, and southeastern U.S., and only five states currently keep track of diagnosed human cases: Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. But thereâs been some indication that the potential range of blastomycosis in the U.S. is larger than we think.
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In dental laboratories, exposure to crystalline silica can occur during procedures that generate suspended mineral dusts, e.g. dispersion of mixing powders, removal of castings from molds grinding, polishing of castings and porcelain, and use of silica sand for blasting. There is also a large list of toxic agents (acrylic resins, polymeric materials, etc.) used to produce removable and fixed prostheses, but also impression materials and more. Using personal protective equipment and other aids reduces the exposure to these potentially harmful agents.
We report the case of a 42-year-old male dental technician who began to suffer from a dry cough and exertional dyspnea after approximately 15Â years of work. The operations he conducted for his job resulted in the generation of crystalline silica, aluminum, chromium and titanium dust. The worker did not regularly wear personal protective equipment and some of the above operations were not carried out in closed circuit systems.
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Plastic pollution is a menace worldwide. Plastics are now found in every environment on the planet, from the deepest seas to the atmosphere and human bodies.
Scientific evidence describing harm to the environment and humans is growing. Hence, the United Nations has resolved to negotiate a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.
In our work, we established the presence of chemicals in recycled plastic that can cause harm to humans or other organisms. They include pesticides, pharmaceuticals and fragrances. Others are chemicals that result from burning natural materials, man-made organic chemicals used for industrial applications like paint, and ultraviolet filters.
We quantified a total of 491 different chemical substances.
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A modern alternative to chemotherapy and radiotherapy is photodynamic therapy. It is used to treat cancer, skin diseases, and infectious diseases. The essence of the method is that light-sensitive substances are introduced into the blood, which accumulate in the affected tissues. They are then irradiated with light of the desired wavelength and intensity.
Light-sensitive substances react to this and destroy unhealthy cells. Healthy cells are practically not affected. One of the main challenges of this approach is to find a suitable light-sensitive compound.
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Today in the House of Lords I have an oral question â starting a short debate â on a workplace safety issue â silicosis â that has received surprisingly little parliamentary attention in the UK, despite Australia having just taken a big step forward in tackling it, and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Respiratory Health last year producing a report on the issue.Â
What is the UK doing to address this problem?
Unlike asbestos, there is no specific law relating to the risk of silica dust, despite it being at least as lethal as asbestos.
According to the advocacy group, Hazards, there are two main existing pieces of legislation that relate to silica exposure. First is the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), which requires employers to ensure the physical and mental health of workers and others impacted by their work activities or in their working environment.
Second, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) demands that employers lower RSC exposure among their employees âas reasonably practicable.âÂ
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Breathing in dust from crystalline silica-containing materials can lead to lung disease.Â
Chronic silicosis typically occurs after 10 or more years of exposure to respirable crystalline silica. However, the disease can occur much more quickly after heavy exposures. Silicosis can develop or progress even after workplace exposures have stopped.
Symptoms of silicosis may include:
Cough
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
There is no known cure for silicosis and some patients may require a lung transplant.
Workers exposed to silica and those who have silicosis are also at increased risk of tuberculosis (TB), a contagious and potentially life-threatening infection.
Exposure to respirable crystalline silica puts workers at risk for developing other serious diseases including:
Lung Cancer
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Kidney Disease
Autoimmune Disease
#respirable crystalline silica dust#lung cancer#TB#kidney disease#autoimmune diseases#silicosis#silica exposure
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Oesophageal adenocarcinoma has become much more common over the past 50 years, particularly in Britain, with an unexplained male to female ratio of > 4:1.
Given the use of asbestos filtration in commercial brewing and reports of its unregulated use in British public houses in the 1970âs to clear draught beer âslopsâ, we have assessed the hypothesis that ingested asbestos could be a causative factor for this increased incidence.
Importantly, occupational asbestos exposure increases the risk of adenocarcinoma but not squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus. The presence of asbestos fibres was consistently reported in filtered beverages including beers in the 1970s and asbestos bodies have been found in gastrointestinal tissue, particularly oesophageal tissue, at autopsy.Â
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So far, it has been observed that there exists a definite correlation between exposure to micro- and nanoplastic particles and the onset of several cancers.
Undoubtedly, plasticâs carcinogenic/mutagenic impact on cells has already been broadly reported, fueling researchersâ concerns, and thus the willingness to further research this matter.
Except being potentially harmful themselves, microplastics might also be contaminated with other substances, including harmful organic chemicals or trace metals, whose exposure to living organisms might be toxic.
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