[Analysis of morbidity and testing of trends for qualitatively variable incidence of occupational diseases induced by industrial dust in selected workplaces]

The paper addresses the problem of occupational diseases induced by industrial dust (items 2-4 on the Polish list of occupational diseases) during the years 1970-89. The data were obtained from the Section of Work Hygiene of the former Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Zielona Góra. In the population of workers under study, the incidence of chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) (items 3 and 4 on the Polish list of occupational diseases) was higher as compared with pneumoconiosis in terms of both the number of cases and the number of plants where they were observed. In case of pneumoconiosis, welding smoke and foundry dust were found to be etiologic factors responsible for its incidence, and organic dusts of plant and plastic origin together with industrial dust induced CRD. First cases of CRD were observed in the exposure interval of 6-10 years, and pneumoconiosis already in the interval of 0-5 years. The intensified incidence of both pneumoconiosis and CRD was observed after 11-25 years of occupational exposure. An upward trend in the incidence of pneumoconioses determined by the concentration of industrial dusts and the duration of exposure was found in one plant, and of CRD determined by the same factors in two plants under study.