Related Subjects:
| Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
| Diffuse Parenchymal Lung disease
| Asbestos Related Lung disease
| Sarcoidosis
| Coal Worker's Pneumoconiosis
| Silicosis
| Farmer's Lung
| Cryptogenic Organising Pneumonia (COP-BOOP)
| Extrinsic Allergic alveolitis (Hypersensitivity)
| Pneumoconiosis
| Cor Pulmonale
Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is found in stone, rocks, sands and clays.Exposure to RCS over a long period can cause fibrosis (hardening or scarring) of the lung tissue with a consequent loss of lung function. In Britain, RCS exposure has a workplace exposure limit (WEL), which contains exposure below a set limit, preventing excessive exposure.
About
Epidemiology
Occupations with exposure to RCS
Different types of stone contain different amounts of silica
Type of Stone
Percentage of Silica
sandstone, gritstone, quartzite
more than 70%
concrete, mortar
25% to 70%
shale
40% to 60%
china stone
up to 50%
slate
up to 40%
brick
up to 30%
granite
up to 30%
ironstone
up to 15%
basalt, dolerite
up to 5%
limestone, chalk, marble
up to 2% (but these can contain silica layers)
Clinical
Investigations
Complications
Management
References
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Silicosis
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