Worker Notification Program
Industrial Sand Workers (Silica Exposure) (2)
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On January 18, 2002, NIOSH sent the results of a study of industrial
sand workers from 18 different plants to each participant
in the study. The study focused on the health effects of exposure
to silica.
What you need to know about the NIOSH Study of Industrial Sand
Workers and the Risk of Disease
FACT SHEET - You Can Protect Your Own Health!!
Additional Resources
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| What you need to know about the NIOSH Study of Industrial Sand Workers and the Risk of Disease |
2002
Why did NIOSH study industrial sand workers?
Industrial sand workers are exposed to silica, a dust thought to cause
lung cancer, silicosis, kidney disease, and arthritis.
NIOSH wanted to find out if industrial sand workers have an increased
risk of these diseases (or possibly any others) when compared
with the U. S. general public.
Who was included in the NIOSH study?
NIOSH studied 4,626 industrial sand workers from 18 plants in 11
different States.
NIOSH based their results on the personnel records of these 4,626
former and current industrial sand workers. The records were
collected during 1987-1988.
How did NIOSH do the study?
- We estimated silica exposure for each worker by using available
silica exposure information based on each worker's job and
plant.
- We collected smoking information for about 10% of the workers.
We used the information to represent the smoking histories
of the whole study group.
- We collected death certificates for the workers who had died.
- We compared the number of deaths from each cause among the
workers, to the number of deaths expected in the U. S. general
population who were of similar age, race, and sex.
- We compared the number of workers who had end-stage kidney
disease with the number of people expected based on
the U.S. general population. (We did not compare the number
of deaths.)
- We also tested to see if the number of deaths from each cause
and the number of cases of end-stage kidney disease were
increased among industrial sand workers who had greater
exposure to silica as compared to those who had less exposure.
What were the study results?
We found that a statistically significantly greater
number of deaths occurred from the following causes among
industrial sand workers compared to what was expected, based
on the U.S. general population. This means that the larger
number of deaths from these causes among the sand workers
was very unlikely to have occurred by chance.
- Lung Cancer If the risk in industrial sand workers was
the same as the risk in the general public, we would have
expected 68 deaths from lung cancer. Instead we found 109.
This was approximately 1½ times the number of lung
cancer deaths expected. Excess risk of lung cancer has also
been found in other studies of silica-exposed workers.
The greater the total amount of exposure to silica, the greater
was the risk of lung cancer in industrial sand workers.
- Pneumoconioses/Silicosis
Pneumoconioses are very rare causes of death due to breathing
in dusts. Silicosis is one type of pneumoconiosis caused
by breathing in silica dust. Silicosis causes scarring of
the lungs and severe breathing problems.
Among this population, the pneumoconioses deaths were all likely
due to silicosis because of the workers' exposure to silica
dust. If the risk in industrial sand workers was the same
as the risk in the general public, we would have expected
less than 1 death from all pneumoconioses, but we found
17.This number was more than 17 times the number expected.
Excess risk of pneumoconioses has also been found in other
studies of silica-exposed workers.
- Tuberculosis (TB) If the risk in industrial sand workers was
the same as the risk in the general public, we would have
expected 1½ deaths from TB, but found 5. This number
was more than 3 times the number expected. Excess risk of
TB has also been found in other studies of silica-exposed
workers.
- End-Stage Kidney Disease If the risk in industrial sand workers
was the same as the risk in the general public, we would
have expected 12 cases (not deaths) from end-stage kidney
disease, but found 23. This number was nearly 2 times the
number of cases expected. Excess risk of end-stage kidney
disease also has been found in other studies of silica-exposed
workers.
Healthy kidneys remove waste materials from blood. End-stage kidney
disease is the most serious form of kidney disease, when
the kidneys no longer work. To live without kidney function,
people need dialysis or a kidney transplant. Milder kidney
disease can be treated to prevent end-stage kidney disease.
- Arthritis
If the risk in industrial sand workers was the same as the
risk in the general public, we would have expected less
than 5 deaths from arthritis but found 23. This number was
more than 4 times the number expected. Excess risk of arthritis
has been found in some other studies of silica-exposed workers.
- Heart Disease If the risk in industrial sand workers
was the same as the risk in the general public, we would
have expected 270 deaths from heart disease but found 330.
This number was nearly 1¼ times the number of heart
disease deaths expected. Respiratory diseases such as silicosis
and lifestyle factors such as smoking might account for
some of the increased risk for heart disease. However, without
more information on lifestyle factors within this cohort,
we cannot say for certain why deaths from heart disease
were increased.
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| FACT SHEET - You Can Protect Your Own Health!! |
You Can Protect Your Own Health!
Protect Your Health from Lung Disease
Smoking
- Smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer and lung diseases,
as well as many other diseases. If you smoke, you should
quit. Even if you have smoked for many years, stopping now
will improve your health.
- Avoid secondhand smoke, dust, and other air pollutants, whenever possible.
Symptoms
You should see your doctor if you have the following symptoms:
- periodic respiratory infections
- a continuous cough
- trouble breathing
- feeling unusually tired
Your doctor may do a physical examination that includes a chest
x-ray and a pulmonary function test (PFT).
Flu Virus
- See your doctor each year for a flu shot. The flu virus is constantly
changing, so new vaccines are developed yearly to protect
the public from the most recent strains of flu. For greatest
protection, the best time to get the flu shot is between
early October and mid-November.
- Persons 65 years of age and older should get the pneumococcal vaccine.
This shot helps protect against the most common type of
bacterial pneumonia. Both the flu and pneumonia shots can
be given at the same time. Unlike the yearly flu shot, you
need to get the pneumococcal vaccine only once in a lifetime.
- Avoid exposure to colds and flu at home and in public.
Tuberculosis
- Tuberculosis (often called TB) is an infectious disease that usually
attacks the lungs. Your doctor can give you a TB skin test
to find out if you have the TB infection.
Diet & Exercise
- Follow a nutritious, well-balanced diet, and maintain your ideal
body weight. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. At
least 5 servings a day may help to prevent cancer and other
diseases.
- Get regular exercise daily, without tiring yourself too much.
Protect Yourself from Kidney Disease
You should see your doctor if you have the following symptoms:
- Swelling of parts of the body, especially around the eyes and ankles
- Lower back pain, where the kidneys are located
- Burning
sensation during urination
- Bloody, foamy or coffee-colored urine
- Changes in how often you need to urinate
- Changes in urine color
Your doctor can decide what screening tests you may need if you have any of these symptoms.
Where To Get Additional Information
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For more information about kidney disease, contact:
American Kidney Fund
6110 Executive Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20852
(800) 638-8299
National Kidney Foundation
30 East 33rd Street
New York, NY 10016
(800) 622-9010
National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse
3 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3580
(301) 654-4415
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To receive a copy of the study report or
other information about occupational safety and health,
contact NIOSH at:
NIOSH - Publications Department
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998
1-800-356-4674
E-mail: pubstaft@cdc.gov
Web site: www.cdc.gov/niosh
Fax: 513-533-8573
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| Additional Resources |
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Website
Topic Page. NIOSH Silicosis Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/silica/
Steenland K, Sanderson W (2001a). Lung cancer among industrial
sand workers exposed to crystalline silica. Am J Epidemiol
153: 695-703. (Study Report)
Steenland K, Sanderson W, Calvert G (2001). Kidney disease
and arthritis in a cohort study of workers exposed to silica.
Epidemiology 12 (4): 405-412 (Study Report)
U.S. Department of Labor, National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health. A Guide to Working Safely With Silica.
2001-605-173/20904.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/silicax.pdf
( 21
pages, 213kb)
Go to Notification Homepage
Page last modified: February 26, 2002
Page last reviewed: February 26, 2002
(archived document)
Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
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