What Are Occupational Lung Diseases?

Several of the most common occupational lung diseases [note—insert links to those detailed on the ALA site] are:

• Occupational lung cancer is the most frequent occupational cancer and is caused by exposure to substances such as asbestos, arsenic, chloroethers, chromates, ionizing radiation, nickel and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons.
• Occupational or work-related asthma is the most common form of occupational lung disease. Exposures to allergens and toxins in the workplace also can worsen pre-existing asthma. Occupational asthma is usually reversible, but permanent lung damage can occur if exposure continues.
• Asbestosis results in a scarring of lung tissue as a result of exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was previously widely used as an insulator and fire retardant until it became known that its microscopic fibers cause disease, including cancer. Asbestosis worsens over time.
• Mesothelioma, an otherwise rare cancer of the lining of organs, is caused mainly by asbestos exposure. People survive on average just on year after diagnosis because by the time a patient shows symptoms, the disease has usually advanced to a late stage.
• Byssinosis (brown lung disease) is a chronic condition caused by exposure to dusts from hemp, flax and cotton processing. In the United States, byssinosis is almost completely limited to workers who handle unprocessed cotton.
• Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (black lung disease) is caused by inhaling coal dust that becomes imbedded in the lungs, causing them to harden and making breathing very difficult.
• Silicosis is caused by exposure to free crystalline silica, which comes from chipping, cutting, drilling or grinding objects such as or containing soil, sand, granite or other minerals. Approximately two million U.S. workers are estimated to be occupationally exposed to free crystalline silica dusts, including those in high-risk jobs such as abrasive blasting, foundry work, stonecutting, rock drilling, quarry work and tunneling. Glass workers and sand blasters also are exposed to silica dust.
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (farmer's lung) is caused by repeated exposure to organic dusts, fungus, mold or other foreign substances. Other causes include breathing in dust from moldy hay, bird droppings, contamination in humidifiers or air conditioners and certain chemicals.
• Sick building syndrome can be the diagnosis when a large number of people in a building experience symptoms that do not fit the pattern of any particular illness and are difficult to trace to any specific source. Many buildings are now sealed tightly, while modern ventilation systems mostly recycle indoor air. Workers breathe the same air again and again, which may also be made more harmful by pollutants from furnishings, appliances or building materials. If a ventilation system is not carefully designed or maintained, fresh air may not reach the workers.

A complete list of occupational lung diseases is available from the federal government's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

How Serious are Occupational Lung Diseases?

• Some exposures to toxins or irritating substances can cause acute (short-term) illness, but repeated exposures (and some single exposures) can cause chronic, incurable lung diseases.
• How severe each occupational lung disease can become varies, as does its affect on an individual's health.

Who gets Occupational Lung Diseases?

• People who are exposed to irritating or toxic agents in the workplace can get occupational lung disease.
• Occupational lung disease usually affects workers who have long-term exposure to toxins or irritants, but it is possible to develop occupational lung disease from a few or even a single exposure.
• Because smoking can increase how severe an occupational lung disease is for an individual, smokers have an increased risk. Specifically, smokers who also are exposed to cancer-causing agents, such as asbestos and radiation, greatly increase their chances of developing lung cancer and other lung diseases.