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Posted By David .J. Minnery
I am looking for information on cement dusts
and the relationship to Asthma and other respiratory disease , can anyone assist ?
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Posted By Robert Woods
David,
If you send me a smnail mail address i'll put some info in the post.
Robert Woods.
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Posted By Ken Taylor
Construction Information Sheets 26 (Cement)and 36 (Silica) may provide a few clues. The burns attributed to contact with wet cement become applicable when the dry dust contacts wet respiratory tracts, etc, throat irritation and breathing difficulty have been recorded in high-level short-term cement dust exposure, chronic respiratory problems are suspected possible from long-term inhalation exposure and crystalline silica (a known cause of lung disease) may be present (in dry mortar mixes, etc). Whilst I have not seen 'cement' listed as a respiratory sensitiser, any airborne dust of this nature can be a real problem for the asthmatic and initiate asthmatic type reaction.
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Posted By David .J. Minnery
Thanks to Robert Woods and Ken Taylor for their assistance , come on where are all the experts out there ? this is a difficult subject as there appears only to be fleeting references to Asthma , I am not talking about genetic Asthma or someone with a family history , but occupational Asthma from longterm exposure to mainly cement but also stucco plaster and lime dusts .
I am aware of the existence of Calcium Silicate , Lime and Silica which themselves pose a significant heath risk .
Ordinary Portland cement apparently consists of :- 60-67% Lime , 17-25% Silica , 2-8% Alumine , 0-6% Iron Oxide , 1-7% Sulphur Trioxide , 0.1-5% Magnesia and 0.1-1.5% Alkalis . It may be that any direct connection would not be welcomed and that is why there is very little information due to the possibility of industrial disease claims . So come on ladies and gentlemen if you have any information please share it .
Regards
David Minnery
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Posted By Adrian Watson
Dear David,
As you are clearly aware there is very limited information about cement & lung disease. The harmful effect of cement dust upon living organisms consists in irritating, sensitizing and pneumoconiotic properties of its components. As cement particles are very alkaline, tend to agglomerate and are hydroscopic you can expect that they will exert their effect upon upper respiratory tract.
The few studies tend to show that exposure to cement dust may cause disorders of the upper respiratory airways, dyspnea, including chronic rhinitis, laryngitis and pharynx catarrh. This is in addition to conjunctivitis and dermatitis. All of which are due to the factors I have indicated.
Regards Adrian Watson
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Posted By Robert Thomas
David
HSE Guidance Note EH65 should provide most of the information you require, including details on exposure, measurement, toxicokinetics and toxic effects on animals and humans. Interestingly enough, the document states that 'The ability of cement dust to produce respiratory sensitisation is unclear. There is evidence that repeated inhalation exposure of humans to Portland cement dust has produced rhinitis, chronic productive cough, slight abnormalities on chest radiography and impaired lung function. However, where effects on lung function have been reported, it must be acknowledged that the quality of the studies is such that the evidence for a true effect of cement dust remains inconclusive.'
It would seem that there is more work to be done on the subject.
Regards
Rob
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