Current global perspectives on silicosis—Convergence of old and newly emergent hazards
2022
Hoy, Ryan | Jeebhay, Mohamed | Cavalin, Catherine | Chen, Weihong | Cohen, Robert | Fireman, Elizabeth | Go, Leonard | León‐jiménez, Antonio | Menéndez-Navarro, Alfredo | Ribeiro, Marcos | Rosental, Paul-André | Monash University [Melbourne] | University of Cape Town | School of Public Health and Family Medicine ; University of Cape Town | Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Sciences Sociales (IRISSO) ; Université Paris Dauphine-PSL ; Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Madrid Institute for Advanced Study (MIAS) ; Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)-Casa de Velázquez (CVZ) | Laboratoire interdisciplinaire d'évaluation des politiques publiques (Sciences Po) (LIEPP) ; Sciences Po (Sciences Po) | Centre d'études de l'emploi et du travail (CEET) ; Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [Cnam] (Cnam)-Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (M.E.N.E.S.R.)-Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Santé | Tongji Medical College [HUST] ; Huazhong University of Science and Technology [Wuhan] (HUST) | Feinberg School of Medicine [Northwestern University, Evanston] ([Northwestern University Medical School]) ; Northwestern University [Evanston] | University of Illinois [Chicago] (UIC) ; University of Illinois System | Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center [Tel Aviv] | Kfar Saba and Sackler School of Medicine | Puerta del Mar University Hospital | Universidad de Granada = University of Granada (UGR) | State University of Londrina = Universidade Estadual de Londrina | Centre d'histoire de Sciences Po (Sciences Po) (CHSP) ; Sciences Po (Sciences Po)
International audience
Show more [+] Less [-]English. Silicosis not a disease of the past. It is an irreversible, fibrotic lung disease specifically caused by exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust. Over 20,000 incident cases of silicosis were identified in 2017 and millions of workers continue to be exposed to RCS. Identified case numbers are however a substantial underestimation due to deficiencies in reporting systems and occupational respiratory health surveillance programmes in many countries. Insecure workers, immigrants and workers in small businesses are at particular risk of more intense RCS exposure. Much of the focus of research and prevention activities has been on the mining sector. Hazardous RCS exposure however occurs in a wide range of occupational setting which receive less attention, in particular the construction industry. Recent outbreaks of silicosis associated with the fabrication of domestic kitchen benchtops from high-silica content artificial stone have been particularly notable because of the young age of affected workers, short duration of RCS exposure and often rapid disease progression. Developments in nanotechnology and hydraulic fracking provide further examples of how rapid changes in technology and industrial processes require governments to maintain constant vigilance to identify and control potential sources of RCS exposure. Despite countries around the world dealing with similar issues related to RCS exposure, there is an absence of sustained global public health response including lack of consensus of an occupational exposure limit that would provide protection to workers. Although there are complex challenges, global elimination of silicosis must remain the goal.
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