Dose-response relationship between lung function and chest imaging response to silica exposures in artificial stone manufacturing workers

Occupational exposure to artificial stone, a popular material used for countertops, can cause accelerated silicosis, but the precise relationship between silica dose and disease development is unclear.

This study evaluated the impact of silica exposure on lung function and chest imaging in artificial stone manufacturing workers.

Questionnaire and spirometry assessments were administered to workers in two plants. A high-exposure subset underwent further evaluation, including chest CT and DLco. Weighting factors, assigned as proxies for silica exposure, were based on work tasks. Individual cumulative exposures were estimated using area concentration measurements and time spent in specific areas. Exposure-response associations were analyzed using linear and logistic regression models.

Among 65 participants, the mean cumulative silica exposure was 3.61 mg/m³-year (range 0.0001 to 44.4). Each 1 mg/m³-year increase was associated with a 0.46% reduction in FVC, a 0.45% reduction in FEV1, and increased lung function abnormality risk (aOR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.03–1.56). Weighting factors correlated with cumulative exposures (Spearman correlation = 0.59, p < 0.0001), and weighted tenure was associated with lung function abnormalities (aOR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01–1.09). Of 37 high-exposure workers, 19 underwent chest CT, with 12 (63%) showing abnormal opacities. Combining respiratory symptoms, lung function, and chest X-ray achieved 91.7% sensitivity and 75% specificity for predicting chest CT abnormalities.

Lung function and chest CT abnormalities occur commonly in artificial stone workers. For high-exposure individuals, abnormalities on health screening could prompt further chest CT examination to facilitate early silicosis detection.