Objective To evaluate dust exposure level and health status of workers in manufacturers of man-made mineral fiber (MMMF) in order to provide prevention and control strategies for MMMF dust exposure.
Methods Three MMMF production enterprises (glass fiber enterprise, refractory ceramic fiber enterprise A and B) in Zhejiang Province were randomly selected to detect dust concentration. Dust exposure workers (n=497) were invited to chest X ray examination and skin symptom investigation, and workers from plastic production enterprises (n=89) were selected as control group. The results from selected enterprises were compared and analyzed.
Results The qualified rate of dust was 80% at the raw material feeding workstation in the glass fiber enterprise by personal sampling, 100% at all samplings sites in the refractory ceramic fiber enterprise A, and 33.3% at the cotton spreading and cutting workstations in the refractory ceramic fiber enterprise B by area sampling. Higher positive rates of skin irritation symptoms, skin itching, and skin erythema symptoms were reported among the dust exposure workers from the three MMMF enterprises than the controls (P < 0.01), and the incidence rates of contact dermatitis ranged from 3.7%-4.6%. No worker was diagnosed as pneumoconiosis. One worker in the refractory ceramic fiber enterprise B was diagnosed as observation case of pneumoconiosis.
Conclusion A low qualified rate of dust is found in the raw material feeding workstation in the refractory ceramic fiber enterprises. MMMF workers show higher incidence rates of skin irritation symptoms, skin itching, skin erythema symptoms, and contact dermatitis.
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