Ann Occup Environ Med.
2013 ;25(1):16.
Two Cases of Lung Cancer in Foundry Workers
- Affiliations
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- 1Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. ptdoctor@hanmail.net
- 2Institute for Occupational Health, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- 3Korean Industrial Health Association, Suwon, Korea.
- 4Occupational Lung Diseases Institute, Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, Ansan, Korea.
- 5Incheon Workers' Health Center, Incheon Business Center, 636 Gojan-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, Korea.
- 6Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- 7Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, Incheon, Korea.
Abstract
- BACKGROUND
Iron and steel foundry workers are exposed to various toxic and carcinogenic substances including crystalline silica, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and arsenic. Studies have been conducted on lung cancer in iron and steel founding workers and the concentration of crystalline silica in foundries; however, the concentration of crystalline silica and cases of lung cancer in a single foundry has never been reported in Korea. Therefore, the authors report two cases of lung cancer and concentration of crystalline silica by the X-ray diffraction method.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 55-year-old blasting and grinding worker who worked in a foundry for 33 years was diagnosed with lung cancer. Another 64-year-old forklift driver who worked in foundries for 39 years was also diagnosed with lung cancer. Shot blast operatives were exposed to the highest level of respirable quartz (0.412 mg/m3), and a forklift driver was exposed to 0.223 mg/m3.
CONCLUSIONS
The lung cancer of the two workers is very likely due to occupationally related exposure given their occupational history, the level of exposure to crystalline silica, and epidemiologic evidence. Further studies on the concentration of crystalline silica in foundries and techniques to reduce the crystalline silica concentration are required.
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