Abstract
Objectives
Few studies have been carried out to evaluate the respiratory effects of asbestos exposure of custodian and maintenance workers.
Methods
By a multicentre cross-sectional study, 277 custodian and maintenance employees working in buildings with friable asbestos-containing materials and 87 unexposed subjects were studied for radiological abnormalities by use of the International Labour Office (ILO) classification of radiographs of pneumoconiosis, in relation to parameters of asbestos exposure.
Results
The cumulative asbestos exposure index was generally low (fewer than 5 fibres/ml × years in 82.3% of exposed workers). On multivariate analysis, pleural thickening was significantly related to latency since onset of exposure to asbestos in exposed workers, after adjustment for age, body mass index and tobacco smoking.
Conclusions
Asbestos exposure of custodian and maintenance employees in buildings with friable asbestos-containing materials might be associated with an excess of pleural thickening on chest X-rays.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ameille J, Brochard P (1998) Du bon usage de la classification internationale du BIT des radiographies de pneumoconioses en santé au travail. Arch Mal Prof 59:562–568
Ameille J, Brochard P, Bréchot JM, Pascano T, Chérin A, Raix A, Fredy M, Bignon J (1993) Pleural thickening: a comparison of oblique chest radiographs and high-resolution computed tomography in subjects exposed to low levels of asbestos pollution. Int Arch Environ Health 64:545–548
Anderson HA, Hanrahan LP, Higgins DN, Sarow PG (1992) A radiographic survey of public school building maintenance and custodial employees. Environ Res 59:159–166
Balmes JR, Daponte A, Cone JE (1991) Asbestos-related disease in custodial and building maintenance workers from a large municipal school district. Ann N Y Acad Sci 643:530–549
Cordier S, Lazar P, Brochard P, Bignon J, Ameille J, Proteau J (1987) Epidemiologic investigation of respiratory effects related to asbestos inside insulated buildings. Arch Environ Health 42:303–309
Corn M, McArthur B, Dellarco M (1994) Asbestos exposures of building maintenance personnel. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 9:845–852
Dick JA, Morgan WKC, Muir DFC, Reger RB, Sargent N (1992) The significance of irregular opacities on the chest roentgenogram. Chest 102:251–260
Doll R, Peto J (1985) Effects on health of exposure to asbestos. HMSO, London
Health Effects Institute-Asbestos Research (HEI-AR) (1991) Asbestos in public and commercial buildings: a literature review and synthesis of current knowledge. Cambridge, Mass
International Labour Office (ILO) (1980) Guidelines for the use of the ILO international classification of radiographs of pneumoconioses. International Labour Office Occupational Safety and Health Series no. 22. Geneva, Switzerland
Jarvholm B (1992) Pleural plaques and exposure to asbestos: a mathematical model. Int J Epidemiol 21:1180–1184
Levin SM, Selikoff IJ (1991) Radiological abnormalities and asbestos exposure among custodians of the New York City Board of Education. Ann N Y Acad Sci 643:530–539
Mlynarek S, Corn M, Blake C (1996) Asbestos exposure of building maintenance personnel. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 23:213–224
Oliver LC, Sprince NL, Greene R (1991) Asbestos-related disease in public schools custodians. Am J Ind Med 19:303–316
Orlowski E, Créau Y, Gauducheau E, Certin JF, Laforest JC, Raffaelli C, Hébrard F, Brochard P (1997) EVALUTIL: base de données pour l’évaluation des expositions à l’amiante des utilisateurs de matériaux en contenant. Cah Notes Doc INRS 166:5–16
Pierre N, Iwatsubo Y, Ameille J, Cordier S, Mandereau L, Raix A, Freddy M, Delage A, Bignon J, Brochard P (1995) Etude longitudinale des anomalies radiologiques chez des sujets travaillant dans des locaux floqués à l’amiante. Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique 43:432–443
Price B, Crump KS, Baird EC (1992) Airborne asbestos levels in buildings: maintenance workers and occupant exposures. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 2:357–374
US Environmental Protection Agency (1984) Asbestos in buildings. A national survey of asbestos-containing friable materials (EPA 560 15 84-006). Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
Weiss W (1991) Cigarette smoking and small irregular opacities. Br J Ind Med 48:841–844
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité (Paris, France). We would like to thank, for their contribution to this study, Dr. M.C. Bayeux, Dr. P. Cadilhac, Dr. A. Calastreng, Dr. C. Delallée, Dr. Y. Fouache, Dr. E. Doucet, Dr. C. Gauberty, Dr. B. Guidez, Dr. M. Habrard, Dr. M. Hébrard, Dr. N. Joly, Dr. M.F. Marquignon, Dr. E. Pouget, Dr. S. Redin, Dr. M.C. Tardieu, Mrs S. Chammings, Mrs E. Gussé.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Matrat, M., Pairon, JC., Paolillo, AG. et al. Asbestos exposure and radiological abnormalities among maintenance and custodian workers in buildings with friable asbestos-containing materials. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 77, 307–312 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-004-0520-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-004-0520-7