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An epidemiological study of the role of chrysotile asbestos fibre dimensions in determining respiratory disease risk in exposed workers
Abstract
Background: Evidence from toxicological studies indicates that the risk of respiratory diseases varies with asbestos fibre length and width. However, there is a total lack of epidemiological evidence concerning this question. Methods: Data were obtained from a cohort mortality study of 3072 workers from an asbestos textile plant which was recently updated for vital status through 2001. A previously developed job exposure matrix based on phase contrast microscopy (PCM) was modified to provide fibre size-specific exposure estimates using data from a re-analysis of samples by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cox proportional hazards models were fit using alternative exposure metrics for single and multiple combinations of fibre length and diameter. Results: TEM-based cumulative exposure estimates were found to provide stronger predictions of asbestosis and lung cancer mortality than PCM-based estimates. Cumulative exposures based on individual fibre size-specific categories were all found to be highly statistically significant predictors of lung cancer and asbestosis. Both lung cancer and asbestosis were most strongly associated with exposure to thin fibres (<0.25 μm). Longer (>10 μm) fibres were found to be the strongest predictors of lung cancer, but an inconsistent pattern with fibre length was observed for asbestosis. Cumulative exposures were highly correlated across all fibre size categories in this cohort (0.28–0.99, p values <0.001), which complicates the interpretation of the study findings. Conclusions: Asbestos fibre dimension appears to be an important determinant of respiratory disease risk. Current PCM-based methods may underestimate asbestos exposures to the thinnest fibres, which were the strongest predictor of lung cancer or asbestosis mortality in this study. Additional studies are needed of other asbestos cohorts to further elucidate the role of fibre dimension and type.
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In the citing paper
“Stayner et al. [35] demonstrated a stronger association with long thin fibers than with short or thick ones.”
From Quantification of short and long asbestos fibers to assess asbestos exposure: A review of fiber size toxicity (2014) · cites this paper as [35]
In the citing paper
“They found a better prediction using TEM than with PCM analyses and reported that cumulative exposures to all fiber size classes, including fibers ≤ 5 μm in length, were statistically significant predictors of lung cancer mortality.”
From Quantification of short and long asbestos fibers to assess asbestos exposure: A review of fiber size toxicity (2014) · cites this paper as [35]
In the citing paper
“The authors discuss the high correlation across all fiber sizes categories in this cohort for the cumulative exposures which complicates the interpretation of the study designs.”
From Quantification of short and long asbestos fibers to assess asbestos exposure: A review of fiber size toxicity (2014) · cites this paper as [35]
In the citing paper
“According to recent human data [33-37], it can be inferred that exposure to longer fibers was associated with higher rates of lung cancer, but no definite conclusion can be ascertained for the other size classes.”
From Quantification of short and long asbestos fibers to assess asbestos exposure: A review of fiber size toxicity (2014) · cites this paper as [35]
In the citing paper
“Nevertheless, the authors noted that exposure to short, thin fibers was associated with lung cancer risk, and these fibers represented the majority of those counted by TEM.”
From Quantification of short and long asbestos fibers to assess asbestos exposure: A review of fiber size toxicity (2014) · cites this paper as [35]
Citations
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No references could be resolved yet.
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Health risk of chrysotile revisited
Bernstein, D., Dunnigan, J., Hesterberg, T., Brown, R., Velasco, J. A. L., Barrera, R., Hoskins, J., & Gibbs, A. (2013) · Critical Reviews in Toxicology · doi:10.3109/10408444.2012.756454 · Cited by 172
Case, B. W., Abraham, J. L., Meeker, G., Pooley, F. D., & Pinkerton, K. E. (2011) · Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B · doi:10.1080/10937404.2011.556045 · Cited by 123
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Metadata
- Authors
- Stayner, L., Kuempel, E., Gilbert, S., Hein, M., & Dement, J.
- Venue
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2007-12-20
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 613-619
- ISSN
- 1351-0711
- 1470-7926
- Cited by
- 81
- References
- 0
- Language
- en
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- Stayner, L., Kuempel, E., Gilbert, S., Hein, M., & Dement, J. (2008). An epidemiological study of the role of chrysotile asbestos fibre dimensions in determining respiratory disease risk in exposed workers. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2007.035584
