A cross-sectional study on asbestos workers carried out in Italy in 1940: a forgotten study

Our plain-English summary of A cross-sectional study on asbestos workers carried out in Italy in 1940: a forgotten study, by E. Merler (American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1998).

The study

• Author: E. Merler
• Journal: American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Published: 1998;33(1):90-3
• Type of article: Historical article
• Cited by: 1 article, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

In plain English

This article was a historical commentary on a forgotten 1940 study by Enrico C. Vigliani. That study was a cross-sectional survey of workers present in 1939 at four asbestos factories near Turin, northern Italy, most making asbestos textiles. Most employees were women. Fibers in use included amosite, crocidolite and chrysotile. 439 workers were examined and 353 had chest x-rays. Dust measurements ranged from under 200 to 5,300 particles per cubic centimeter, and the author believed fiber counts were strongly underestimated. "Asbestosis" was found in up to 47% of workers in certain job categories (no less than 6% overall), and in 35% to 90% of workers within subgroups exposed more than 6 years. Vigliani stated that no lung tumor cases were detected at the survey, which did not study excess mortality. Vigliani described the prevalence as lower than in other surveys and proposed an acceptable exposure level of 200 particles per cubic centimeter. The author concluded that Vigliani's conclusions were contradicted by the data Vigliani presented. The author also criticized the study's uncertain asbestosis definition and an exposure index likely underestimating true exposure.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Historical commentary summarizing and critiquing an earlier cross-sectional health survey (Vigliani, 1940) of asbestos factory workers
• Who was studied: In Vigliani's 1940 study, 439 workers were examined, of whom 353 had chest x-rays. They were workers present in 1939 at four asbestos factories in the Turin area of northern Italy, and most employees were women.
• Exposure: Work in asbestos textile and friction-material factories. One factory used mostly amosite and crocidolite. The others used a mixture of chrysotile and crocidolite, and some departments used only crocidolite.
• Main results:
  • Of 72 dust measurements in the factories, one sample showed less than 200 particles per cubic centimeter (ppc). Several showed more than 1,000 ppc, up to a maximum of 5,300 ppc.
  • The author believed the fiber counts were strongly underestimated because of overloaded, low-quality samples and the low resolution of the optical system.
  • Among workers examined, "asbestosis" was observed in up to 47% of workers in certain job categories, and in no less than 6% overall.
  • Among workers in subgroups exposed for more than 6 years, asbestosis prevalence was as high as 90% and never less than 35%.
  • Vigliani stated that no lung tumor cases were detected at the survey. The survey did not study excess mortality or workers who had left the factories.
  • Two workers from the factories under study died of asbestosis, at 48 and 56 years of age.
  • Vigliani first stated that the concentration not causing pneumoconiosis should be below 80 to 90 ppc. Vigliani then proposed an acceptable exposure level of 200 ppc.
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that Vigliani's conclusion (a lower asbestosis prevalence than in other surveys) was contradicted by the data Vigliani presented. The author also concluded that the study's restricted circulation prevented wider awareness of asbestos health risks.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The author stated that the 1940 study's lifetime cumulative exposure index likely underestimated true exposure.
  • The author stated that the 1940 study's definition of asbestosis was uncertain and restrictive, and was intended for compensation purposes.
  • The author noted that vital capacity in the 1940 study was given in absolute volumes, not relative to predicted values.
  • The author noted that the 1940 survey did not study workers who had left the factories after long-term exposure, and did not study excess mortality.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Asbestosis.

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