ArticleLa Medicina del lavoro2020
Silicosis in finishing workers in quartz conglomerates processing.
Article in La Medicina del lavoro, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- AWMF S2k Guideline: Diagnosis and Assessment of Lung Disease Caused by Occupational Silica Dust Exposure (Silicosis) - Disease No. 4101 as per Occupational Diseases Ordinance (BKV) Annex 1.Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases · 2026Guideline
- Interstitial Lung Disease in a Dental Technician Diagnosed Through an Integrated Multidisciplinary Approach.La Medicina del lavoro · 2026Article
- The Combined Role of Silanols and Oxidative Stress in Determining Engineered Stone Dust Toxicity.ACS organic & inorganic Au · 2026Article
- Physico-chemical features and membranolytic activity of dust from low or no crystalline silica engineered stone with implications for toxicological assessment.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- A review of silicosis and other silica-related diseases in the engineered stone countertop processing industry.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2025Review
- The status and influencing factors of lung ventilation function in employees exposed to dust in enterprises of the XPCC, China.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Potential Effect of Combined Exposure of Crystalline Silica Dust and Cigarette Smoking on the Incidence of Silicosis among Chinese Male Stone Processing Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Compositional and structural analysis of engineered stones and inorganic particles in silicotic nodules of exposed workers.Particle and fibre toxicology · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
15 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionOutbreaks of silicosis have bene recently reported in artificial stone workers.
aimTo describe the features of silicosis in quartz conglomerate workers in North-Eastern Italy.
methodsActive search of pneumoconiosis was performed in 11 companies of North-Eastern Italy involved in the fabrication of quartz conglomerate countertops. Occupational history, lung function tests, chest X-ray and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were performed. In selected cases, trans-bronchial biopsies were taken for histological evaluation and identification of silica crystals in the tissue. Cumulative exposure to crystalline silica was estimated.
resultsWe recruited 45 workers and 24 cases of silicosis were diagnosed. Mean age at diagnosis was 43 years and duration of exposure to quartz conglomerate dust was 3.5 to 20 years. The average silica cumulative exposure was 4.3 mg/m3/y. Abnormal findings were detected in 42% of chest X-rays, in 33% of spirometry and 50% of carbon monoxide lung diffusion (DLco). HRCTs were abnormal in all cases showing well-defined rounded opacities, irregular/linear intralobular opacities and bilateral enlarged mediastinal lymph-nodes. Histological findings consistent with silicosis were observed in 24 cases. Numerous silica particles (diameter 0.1-5 µm) were identified in lung tissue.
conclusionsWe reported an unexpected high incidence of silicosis in Italian workers exposed to quartz conglomerate dust. The results suggest that chest HRCT is indicated for screening of workers with high exposure to silica and DLco should be added to spirometry in health surveillance. More rigorous application of safety regulations and more effective preventive interventions at work are necessary.
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