Functional Tests in 39 Asbestos Spray Workers

Our plain-English summary of Functional Tests in 39 Asbestos Spray Workers (1979).

The study

• Published: 1979
• Our copy: from Johns-Manville's own medical library. The article is still under copyright, so we describe it here rather than post it.

In plain English

This study measured lung function in 39 male asbestos spray workers. Their exposure had lasted from a few months to 20 years. At their plant, asbestos was replaced by fiber glass in 1976, but the authors noted that asbestos cleaning was not completely effective. The authors were based in Créteil, France, and did not name the asbestos fiber type. Exposure was assessed by length of exposure from a questionnaire. In 21 workers it was also assessed by counting ferruginous bodies in sputum or bronchoalveolar fluid. Average lung volumes, given as a percentage of normal values, were lower in groups with longer exposure. Vital capacity was 92 percent in the 0 to 4 year group (15 workers) and 62 percent in the longest-exposed group (3 workers). Lung volumes were also lower in workers with more than 50 ferruginous bodies (6 workers) than in those with none (7 workers). Gas exchange was also impaired. No airway obstruction was seen, even in heavy smokers. The authors noted that five years of exposure was enough to alter lung function. They concluded that plethysmography appeared suitable for following asbestos workers over time.

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: Lung function study of one group of workers, comparing results by length of asbestos exposure and by ferruginous body counts (short paper)
• Who was studied: 39 male asbestos spray workers at one plant, average age 36 (range 20 to 59). 10 were non-smokers, 19 had smoked less than 20 pack-years and 10 more than 20 pack-years. The authors were based in Créteil, France. The plant location and study dates are not stated.
• Exposure: Asbestos spraying; fiber type not stated. Asbestos was used at the plant until 1976 and then replaced by fiber glass, but asbestos cleaning was not completely effective. Exposure ranged from a few months to 20 years and was assessed by questionnaire. In 21 workers, ferruginous (asbestos) bodies were counted in bronchoalveolar fluid or one sputum sample.
• Main results:
  • Vital capacity, as percent of normal, by length of exposure: 92 (0-4 years, n = 15), 87 (5-9 years, n = 15), 79 (10-14 years, n = 6), 62 (15 years or more, n = 3)
  • Total lung capacity measured by spirometry, as percent of normal, by length of exposure: 93, 89, 85 and 64 across the same four groups
  • The authors reported that lung volumes decreased by approximately ten percent between 0-5 years and 10-15 years of asbestos exposure
  • The authors noted that a period of 5 years of exposure was sufficient to alter lung function
  • Diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, as percent of normal, was 103 in the 0-4 year group and 91 in the 5-9 year group; no values are given for the longer-exposed groups
  • The alveolar-arterial difference for oxygen widened at exercise in the group the text calls the 5-10 years group
  • Total lung capacity, as percent of normal, by ferruginous body count (21 workers): 92 with 0 bodies (n = 7), 89 with 1-50 (n = 8), 69 with more than 50 (n = 6)
  • Vital capacity, as percent of normal, by ferruginous body count: 90 (0 bodies), 86 (1-50), 75 (more than 50)
  • No airway obstruction was found, even in heavy smokers
  • Lung volume measured by plethysmography was equivalent to the measurement by the conventional dilution technique
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that plethysmography appeared to be a suitable technique for following up asbestos workers. They also suggested following these workers in a longitudinal study.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Ferruginous body, Sputum.

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