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Silicosis
Silicosis, Previously miner's phthisis, grinder's asthma, potter's rot and other occupation-related names is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust, and is marked by inflammation and scarring in the form of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. It is a type of pneumoconiosis.
Phthisis - any disease causing a wasting away of part or all of the body, especially tuberculosis; consumption. — phthisic, phthisical, adj. No longer in scientific use.
Silicosis (particularly the acute form) is characterized by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and cyanosis (bluish skin). It may often be misdiagnosed as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), pneumonia, or tuberculosis.
The name silicosis (from the Latin silex, or flint) was originally used in 1870 by Achille Visconti (1836–1911), prosector in the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan.The recognition of respiratory problems from breathing in dust dates to ancient Greeks and Romans.
Silicosis resulted in 46,000 deaths globally in 2013 down from 55,000 deaths in 1990. Silicosis is the most common occupational lung disease worldwide; it occurs everywhere, but is especially common in developing countries. From 1991 to 1995, China reported more than 24,000 deaths due to silicosis each year. In the United States, it is estimated that between one and two million workers have had occupational exposure to crystalline silica dust and 59,000 of these workers will develop silicosis sometime in the course of their lives.
According to CDC data, silicosis in the United States is relatively rare. The incidence of deaths due to silicosis declined by 84% between 1968 and 1999, and only 187 deaths in 1999 had silicosis as the underlying or contributing cause. Additionally, cases of silicosis in Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio are highly correlated to industry and occupation.
Although silicosis has been known for centuries, the industrialization of mining has led to an increase in silicosis cases. Pneumatic drilling in mines and less commonly, mining using explosives, would raise fine-ultra fine crystalline silica dust(rock dust). In the United States, a 1930 epidemic of silicosis due to the construction of the Hawk's Nest Tunnel near Gauley Bridge, West Virginia caused the death of at least 400 workers. Other accounts place the mortality figure at well over 1000 workers, primarily African American transient workers from the southern United States. Workers who became ill were fired and left the region, making an exact mortality account difficult. The Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster is known as "America's worst industrial disaster. The prevalence of silicosis led some men to grow what is called a miner's mustache, in an attempt to intercept as much dust as possible.
Agricola, in the mid-16th century, wrote about lung problems from dust inhalation in miners.
In 1713, Bernardino Ramazzini noted asthmatic symptoms and sand-like substances in the lungs of stone cutters. With industrialization, as opposed to hand tools, came increased production of dust. The pneumatic hammer drill was introduced in 1897 and sandblasting was introduced in about 1904,[6] both significantly contributing to the increased prevalence of silicosis.
Classification of silicosis is made according to the disease's severity (including radiographic pattern), onset, and rapidity of progression.
For Additional Reading See:
- Wikipedia - Silicosis
- The British Journal of Experimental Pathology - Silicosis & Miners’ Phthisis by WE Gye & EH Kettle, pg 241-251.
- List of Miner’s Related Diseases & Terminology
- American Lung Association - Learn About Silicosis
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