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Moitra S, Farshchi Tabrizi A, Idrissi Machichi K, Kamravaei S, Miandashti N, Henderson L, Mukherjee M, Khadour F, Naseem MT, Lacy P, Melenka L. Non-Malignant Respiratory Illnesses in Association with Occupational Exposure to Asbestos and Other Insulating Materials: Findings from the Alberta Insulator Cohort. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17197085. [PMID: 32998195 PMCID: PMC7579178 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Many insulating materials are used in construction, although few have been reported to cause non-malignant respiratory illnesses. We aimed to investigate associations between exposures to insulating materials and non-malignant respiratory illnesses in insulators. In this cross-sectional study, 990 insulators (45 ± 14 years) were screened from 2011-2017 in Alberta. All participants underwent pulmonary function tests and chest radiography. Demographics, work history, and history of chest infections were obtained through questionnaires. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was diagnosed according to established guidelines. Associations between exposures and respiratory illnesses were assessed by modified Poisson regression. Of those screened, 875 (88%) were males. 457 (46%) participants reported having ≥ 1 chest infection in the past 3 years, while 156 (16%) were diagnosed with COPD. In multivariate models, all materials (asbestos, calcium silicate, carbon fibers, fiberglass, and refractory ceramic fibers) except aerogels and mineral fibers were associated with recurrent chest infections (prevalence ratio [PR] range: 1.18-1.42). Only asbestos was associated with COPD (PR: 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01, 2.05). Therefore, occupational exposure to insulating materials was associated with non-malignant respiratory illnesses, specifically, recurrent chest infections and COPD. Longitudinal studies are urgently needed to assess the risk of exposure to these newly implemented insulation materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhabrata Moitra
- Alberta Respiratory Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (S.M.); (A.F.T.); (K.I.M.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (L.M.)
| | - Ali Farshchi Tabrizi
- Alberta Respiratory Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (S.M.); (A.F.T.); (K.I.M.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (L.M.)
| | - Kawtar Idrissi Machichi
- Alberta Respiratory Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (S.M.); (A.F.T.); (K.I.M.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (L.M.)
| | - Samineh Kamravaei
- Alberta Respiratory Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (S.M.); (A.F.T.); (K.I.M.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (L.M.)
| | - Noushin Miandashti
- Alberta Respiratory Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (S.M.); (A.F.T.); (K.I.M.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (L.M.)
| | - Linda Henderson
- Synergy Respiratory & Cardiac Care, Sherwood Park, AB T8H 0N2, Canada; (L.H.); (F.K.); (M.T.N.)
| | - Manali Mukherjee
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University & Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada;
| | - Fadi Khadour
- Synergy Respiratory & Cardiac Care, Sherwood Park, AB T8H 0N2, Canada; (L.H.); (F.K.); (M.T.N.)
| | - Muhammad T. Naseem
- Synergy Respiratory & Cardiac Care, Sherwood Park, AB T8H 0N2, Canada; (L.H.); (F.K.); (M.T.N.)
| | - Paige Lacy
- Alberta Respiratory Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (S.M.); (A.F.T.); (K.I.M.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (L.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-780-492-6085
| | - Lyle Melenka
- Alberta Respiratory Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (S.M.); (A.F.T.); (K.I.M.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (L.M.)
- Synergy Respiratory & Cardiac Care, Sherwood Park, AB T8H 0N2, Canada; (L.H.); (F.K.); (M.T.N.)
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Abstract
Since 1973 the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified asbestos as a certain carcinogen, but today it is still used in several countries. To date, mesothelioma risk is certainly linked not only to occupational exposures but also to environmental exposures. The incidence and mortality are increasing worldwide, especially in developing countries where asbestos is still often used without adequate measures for worker safety. The epidemiological surveillance systems of related asbestos diseases are instruments of public health adopted internationally. The experience and the operating methodology of the Italian mesothelioma registry and the data produced from 1996 to 2015 highlight how in countries where the asbestos ban has been active for over 20 years the risk of asbestos remains present, especially in the construction sector as well as for the environmental exposures of the resident population near companies that used asbestos in their production cycle. Worldwide, it is necessary to introduce the ban on the extraction, processing, and marketing of asbestos as claimed by the international scientific community.
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Ahmed M, Flannery A, Mujammil I, Breen D. Variation in incidence trends of malignant pleural mesothelioma in Europe. Eur Respir J 2018; 51:51/2/1702384. [DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02384-2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Liu B, van Gerwen M, Bonassi S, Taioli E. Epidemiology of Environmental Exposure and Malignant Mesothelioma. J Thorac Oncol 2017; 12:1031-1045. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2017.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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