These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Health effects of wood dust--relevance for an occupational standard.
    Author: Whitehead LW.
    Journal: Am Ind Hyg Assoc J; 1982 Sep; 43(9):674-8. PubMed ID: 6756119.
    Abstract:
    Wood dust is coming under increasing scrutiny as an industrial exposure posing greater risk than that of a nuisance dust. In light of this increased interest, this paper will review key reports of wood dust-related health effects, and will summarize the available information which relates exposure levels to effects. Numerous case reports exist of skin reactions and obstructive-pattern respiratory changes of either a hypersensitivity or irritant nature for various woods. Reports have also been published of apparently non-allergic obstructive respiratory effects including lung function test reductions and reduction of mucociliary clearance. Wood dust exposure also appears to be linked to the occurrence of adenocarcinoma of the nasal sinuses. Occasional reports link wood dust to other types of cancer, but these relationships are much less consistent than the association with nasal cancer. Various standards have been proposed for wood dust. Most are lower than the nuisance dust standard currently applicable in the U.S. This review of several key papers on wood dust permits some association of exposure data and effects, particularly with suppressed mucociliary clearance, from which it may be suggested from the available evidence that a standard of 2 mg/m3 total suspended wood dust, not differentiated by type of wood, would protect against observed effects except for extreme allergic hypersensitivity.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]