Occupational characterization of workers exposed to asbestos: an integrative review

Our plain-English summary of Occupational characterization of workers exposed to asbestos: an integrative review, by K. Vicari, I.M. Ribeiro, B.F. Aguiar, et al (Revista Brasileira de Medicina Do Trabalho, 2022).

The study

• Authors: K. Vicari, I.M. Ribeiro, B.F. Aguiar, C. Brey, S. Boller, F.M.D. Miranda
• Journal: Revista Brasileira de Medicina Do Trabalho
• Published: 2022;20(4):650-658
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 7 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Asbestos is a mineral fiber abundant in nature and classified as a carcinogen since 1987. The present study aimed to identify, in the scientific literature, what are the occupation and activities developed by sick workers and which categories would be affected with asbestos-related diseases. Through a literature review performed in the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Web of Science, and Regional Portal of the Virtual Health Library, 23 studies published from 2015 to 2020 were selected and evaluated. The occupations that showed greater illness due to exposure to asbestos were general asbestos workers (40%), miners (22%), and textile workers (9%), followed by naval, automotive, carpentry, doll-making, construction, and upholstery workers, as well as workers involved in the rescue, recovery, cleaning, and restoration of the World Trade Center (4%). Of the disease associated with exposure to asbestos, the most described is malignant mesothelioma (43%). Evidence found corroborate pre-existing information in the literature showing that exposure to asbestos may be harmful to health. Moreover, the importance of using personal protective equipment was emphasized, in order to prevent the development of asbestos-related diseases.

In plain English

This article was an integrative literature review, not a new study of workers. The authors searched PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and the Regional Portal of the Virtual Health Library in February and March 2020 for studies published from January 2015 to January 2020. They included 23 articles: 17 cohort studies, 5 case studies and 1 pilot study. The percentages they reported are shares of these 23 articles, not rates of disease among workers. Nine articles (40%) concerned general asbestos workers, five (22%) miners and two (9%) textile workers. Naval, automotive, carpentry, doll-making, construction, upholstery and World Trade Center rescue and cleanup workers appeared in one article (4%) each. Malignant mesothelioma was reported in ten articles (43%), lung cancer and other cancers in eight (35%), and respiratory diseases, asbestosis and pleural plaques in five (22%). In 16 articles (70%) the sick workers were men. The authors concluded that the data corroborate that asbestos exposure may be detrimental to health, and they proposed more research and health surveillance. They noted that grey literature was not included.

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: integrative literature review
• Who was studied: 23 published articles (from 320 records found) published January 2015 to January 2020 in English, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish, searched February to March 2020 in PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and the Regional Portal of the Virtual Health Library; 17 cohort studies, 5 case studies, 1 pilot study, most often from Italy (7) and the United States (5)
• Exposure: occupational exposure to asbestos across different occupations; the review did not analyze fiber types or doses
• Main results:
  • Of the 23 articles, nine (40%) included general asbestos workers, five (22%) miners, and two (9%) textile workers
  • Naval, automotive, carpentry, doll-making, construction and upholstery workers, and World Trade Center rescue, recovery, cleaning and restoration workers, each appeared in one article (4%)
  • Malignant mesothelioma was reported in ten (43%) of the 23 articles
  • Lung cancer and other cancers (mouth, pharynx, esophagus, liver, bile duct, ovary, colon) were reported in eight (35%) articles; respiratory diseases, asbestosis and pleural plaques in five (22%)
  • In 16 (70%) articles the sick workers were men; four (17%) included both men and women; three (13%) included only women
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the data corroborate that asbestos exposure may be detrimental to health, and proposed more scientific research and effective health surveillance for the most vulnerable population
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Grey literature was not included

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mineral Fiber, Malignant Mesothelioma.

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