According to a new research study published in British Medical Journal Thorax, new limits to a person’s daily exposure to silica dust in the construction, mining, dentistry and other industries could save about 13,000 lives worldwide.
Key points
The research warns that silicosis could become as big a health problem as exposure to asbestos.
The study supports the reduction of exposure to silica dust from 0.1 mg/m3 to 0.05 mg/m3 over a working day.
The UK’s occupational limit for silica dust exposure is 0.1 mg/m3. That is in line with most European countries , including France, Austria, and Switzerland.
Other countries, such as China, have much higher limits of around 1 mg/m3. The report also highlights a need for more data on silicosis risks because the total burden of the disease is unclear, especially in developing countries where data about silicosis is scarce.
Silicosis
Silicosis is a respiratory disease which causes a hardening of the lungs. It is caused by silica dust or silica crystals, which are found in soil, sand, concrete, mortar, granite and artificial stone.
Silica is a substance naturally found in certain types of stone, rock, sand and clay. It is common in construction, mining, oil and gas extraction, kitchen engineering, dentistry, pottery and sculpting.
People working in these industries are often exposed to silica every day, and are at higher risk of developing silicosis as a result.
The symptoms of silicosis usually take many years to develop, and you may not notice any problems until after you’ve stopped working with silica dust.
Silicosis usually develops after being exposed to silica for 10-20 years, although it can sometimes develop after 5-10 years of exposure.
