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FILE NAME Talc TALC DATE 1959 DOC TALC007 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Excerpt from the Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories on Industrial Health papers pian he Set ae 1 etac+maeaetelfe toParliamentbythe MinisLterabourez eae i vonad 4 poorer chance of recovery than one who otherwise had This well substantiated past experience owing to the availability of may however not be effective healthy so true lungs today tuberculosis particularly in the early result of which the incidence of risk of infection by contact has beenturbeedrucucleodsis has fallen markedly and the Exposure to silica dust occurs in the containing rock and stone in the mining and quarrying of silica- materials among masons manufacture of certain types of refractory and the pottery industries and coalminers and in the metal founding where silicosis has occurred mention a few of the industries and occupations The precise manner in tissue is still not finally ewshtiacbhlissihleicda exerts its harmful action on the lung Originally it was considered to be mechanical irritation caused by the small sharp recent view is that the effect is silicic acid as the silica very slowly dissolves in the immunological iasntdhearefsouultrtohf atnhe most recent that the fibrous tissue formed in the lungs response The amorphous synthetic silicas which which have become in recent years are increasingly used composed of extremelyextremely minute particles which remain small even when aggregated into clumps clumps Animal determine their fibrogenic activity andand main negative and so far no harmful harmful general dusting experiments to toxicity have been in the use of these effects in humans are known The compounds is being kept organs remote from the lungs is being borne microscopically Asbestos consists mainly of the silicates of forms and the dust which magnesiummagnesium and iron in fibrous fibres is a cause of fibrosis of is in the form of long sharp resemble those of the lungs The symptoms of asbestosis silicosis although the ray changes are very different Like silicosis asbestosis is a disease of insidious permanent disablement On the other hand onset which may lead to associated with tuberculosis than asbestosis has been less evidently evidence of silicosis has been There is moreover cancer an association Asbestos between asbestosis but not silicosis and lung dust is generally considered to act irritant to the lung tissues as a mechanical With the exception of asbestos silicates silica in not cause damage to the lung tissue to a combined form do by free silica a degree comparable to that caused in However prolonged exposure to some other silicate dusts heavy concentrations may produce a being that due to talc dust pneumoconiosis the best known Talc or soapstone is a silicate occurring in fibrous or plate form closely resembling asbestos particles confer chemically The flat plate good lubricating properties for which talc is in industry particularly in the rubber plastics and metal widely used founding industries 54 Although earlier fatal c had been described the first examination was described Inspector of Factories and | cases have been reported bo Cases of a diffuse fibros dust have been reported a men were engaged in the m powder in which process is oxidised to alumina a of dust of less than 10 mi period is very variable and are tiredness loss of appet ness of the chest ray . a diffuse increased fibrosi may be associated with t death often results from F This condition may hav has occurred in individu bauxite The fumes to alumina and finely divided A study of death certif lungs and the occupation to be found on page 38 Inert Dusts not producing Certain other dusts chic of barium when inhaled ray appearances of the those produced by silic metallic compounds whi the part of the lung tissu to the individual . Dr. A attention in 1936 to X Clinical examination of apparently in good healt findings and follow many years have shown may even regress and d It would seem that th welding causes no harm described as occurring iron Sometimes how involving exposure to b example in foundries | to a silicotic reaction Dusts Causing Inflamm The dusts arising fror vanadium osmium or seats 7 ent of | sags largely as a _ markedly and the | quarrying of silica- types of refractory | the metal founding ries and occupations action on the lung "considered to be y the small sharp iew that crystalline resulguhr A more ut by liberation of Que and cell fluids by a concentration ed silica particles ; rmed in the lungs increasingly used cles which remain ng experiments to have been in the are known The ation and clearly __ These particles be produced in nd iron in fibrous n of long sharp uns of asbestosis re very different ich may lead to cen less evidently re is moreover cosis and lung s a mechanical | bined form do to that caused r silicate dusts e best known e occurring in The flat plate is widely used Eling industries Although earlier fatal cases of had been described the first pneumoconiosis due to talc dust exposure case in Great Britain to be examination was described by Dr. A. I. G. proved by pathological Inspector of Factories and his McLaughlin H.M. Medical authors in 1949. Since then many additional cases have been reported both here and abroad , men were engaged in the powder in which manufacture by stamping and mixing of aluminium is oxidised to processes a proportion of the finely divided aluminium alumina aluminium oxide A considerable of dust of less than 10 microns in size concentration period is very variable and lasts from may thus be produced The latent are tiredness loss of appetite and a few months to many years Symptoms ness of the chest ray changes loss of weight dyspnoea cough and tighta diffuse increased fibrosis with are not characteristic but the lungs show may be associated with bronchitis and emphysema The condition tuberculosis and death often results from spontaneous pneumothorax and This pneumonia or sided heart failure condition may have some relation to the has occurred in individuals preparing fibrosis corundum of the lung which bauxite The fumes to which such workers arealuminium oxide from exposed contain both to be found on page 38 of this Report Inert Dusts not producing Fibrosis of the Lungs Certain other dusts chiefly the oxides of iron of barium when inhaled over and tin and certain compounds ray appearances of the a long period of time produce changes in the those produced by silica lungs which may be difficult to distinguish from dust These aggregations of dust particles of the remain toto individualindividual individual individual individual Dr.Dr. A. T. Doig andand attention in 1936 to Doig Dr. A. I. G. I. McLaughlinMcLaughlinMcLaughlinMcLaughlinMcLaughlin first first calledcalledcalled ray changes in the lungs of 16 electric Clinical examination of these men showed arc welders apparently in good health Work no disability and all were findings and follow by other investigators has borne out these examinations many years have shown by Drs Doig and McLaughlin over that the ray abnormality does not may even regress and disappear after some progress but years It would seem that the inhalation of absence from exposure iron oxide dust produced welding causes no harm during as This condition known as siderosis has also been described occurring in silver polishers who use however iron Sometimes welders who have worrkoeudge ionr red oxide of circumstances become example example example example example example in foundries foundries foundriesfoundries foundries foundries foundriesfoundries have havehave become becomebecome become disabled disabled disabled disabled disabled disableddisabled this this thisthis is is due due due in all all all probabilityprobabilityprobability probability probability probability probability probability probability Dusts Causing Inflammation of the Lungs The dusts arising from the processing of certain compounds of manganese vanadium osmium or beryllium cause acute inflammation of the mucous 55 was, t so