Nonmalignant pleural lesions due to environmental exposure to asbestos: a field-based, cross-sectional study

• Published in: The European respiratory journal Vol. 26; no. 5; pp. 875 - 880
• Main Authors: Metintas, M, Metintas, S, Hillerdal, G, Ucgun, I, Erginel, S, Alatas, F, Yildirim, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leeds Eur Respiratory Soc 01-11-2005; Maney
• Subjects: Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Air Pollutants - analysis; Asbestos - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Pleural Diseases - epidemiology; Pneumology; Prevalence; Prognosis; Respiratory system : syndromes and miscellaneous diseases; Risk Assessment - methods; Risk Factors; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Sex Distribution; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Turkey - epidemiology; Turkey; Pleural fibrosis; Asbestos; Respiratory disease; Cross sectional study; environmental exposure; Pleural disease; Environment; Exposure; pleural plaques; Lesion; pleura
• ISSN: 0903-1936; 1399-3003
• DOI: 10.1183/09031936.05.00136404

The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequencies of asbestos-related benign pleural diseases in villagers environmentally exposed to asbestos and the factors affecting these frequencies. A field-based, cross-sectional study was designed. In total, 991 villagers from 10 villages, randomly chosen from 67 villages with known use of asbestos-containing white soil in central Anatolia (Turkey), were investigated. The type of asbestos in the white soil was determined for each village, as well as air-borne fibre concentrations. The villagers were investigated with small-size chest roentgenograms and epidemiological features were recorded. The air-borne fibre levels were generally low. Despite this, pleural plaques were found in 14.4% of the villagers, 10.4% had diffuse pleural fibrosis and 0.4% asbestosis. The significant variables for plaques were age, sex, type of asbestos fibre, e.g. actinolite and tremolite, and exposure duration, while there was a negative relationship with cumulative exposure. The variables affecting diffuse pleural fibrosis were age, exposure duration and cumulative exposure. In conclusion, villagers exposed to environmental asbestos have high frequencies of pleural plaques and diffuse pleural fibrosis, similar to occupationally exposed asbestos cohorts. Different types of asbestos appear to result in different frequencies of pleural lesions.