Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions ā written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Occupational lung disease causes
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Occupational lung disease may be caused by organic dust such as thermophilic and true fungi, and bacteria and animal proteins, or by inorganic dust such as, silicates, carbons and metals, or by agents other than organic or inorganic dusts such as, chemicals, gases, fumes, vapors, and aerosols.
Causes
Causes
Life-threatening Causes
- Life-threatening causes include conditions which may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.
- Life-threatening causes of occupational lung disease include chemical gas inhalation such as chlorine or sarin gas.[1][2]
Common Causes
Common causes of occupational lung disease include:[3][4]
- Silica
- Asbestos
- Beryllium
- Mica
- Portland cement
- Aluminum silicates
- Aluminum
- Cadmium
- Tungsten
- Titanium
- Cobalt
- Iron
- Coal dust
- Graphite
- Macropolyspora faeni
- Thermactinomyces vulgaris
- Thermoactinomyces sacchari
- Aspergillus
- Copper sulfate neutralized with hydrated lime
- Bird droppings
Less Common Causes
Less common causes of occupational lung disease include:[5][6]
- Vinyl chloride
- Oxygen
- Nitrogen oxide
- Sulfur dioxide
- Chlorine gas
- Methyl isocyanate
- Zinc
- Copper
- Manganese
- Cadmium
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Nickel
- Selenium
- Tin
- Antimony
- Diphenylmethane diisocyanate
- Trimellitic anhydride
- Hydrocarbons
- Thermosetting resins
- Toluene diisocyanate
- Talc
- Kaolin
- Diacetyl
- Oxygen
- Mercury
- Oils
- Fats
- Pyrethrum
- Nepheline
- Diatomaceous earth
- Hematite
- Copper sulfate
- Cerium
- Scandium
- Yttrium
- Lanthanum
- Cryptostroma corticale
- Aureobasidium pullulans
- Penicillium species
- Bacillus subtilis
- Bacillus cereus
- Orlon
- Polyesters
- Nylon
- Acrylic
Genetic Causes
- Occupational lung disease may be triggered by a mutation in the following genes:[7]
- MUC5B promoter polymorphism
- Has been identified as causing progression in interstitial lung fibrosis
- HLA-DPB1*0201 polymorphisms
- NAT2 acetylation
- Associated with bladder cancer with exposure to benzine dyes
- HLA class II genes such as HLA-DQB1*0503
- Associated with toluene diisocyanate-induced occupational asthma
- Polymorphisms in exons 3 of Tyr113His (C113T) and 4 His139Arg (G139A) of the mEH gene
- Associated with organic dust-induced chronic airways disease where the activity of microsomal epoxide hydrolase slows down
- MUC5B promoter polymorphism
Causes by Organ System
| Cardiovascular | No underlying causes |
| Chemical/Poisoning | Orlon, polyesters, nylon, acrylic, vinyl chloride, oxygen, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorine gas, methyl isocyanate, zinc, copper, manganese, cadmium, iron, magnesium, nickel, brass, selenium, tin, antimony, diphenylmethane diisocyanate, trimellitic anhydride, hydrocarbons, thermosetting resins, toluene diisocyanate, oxygen, mercury, oils, fats and pyrethrum |
| Dental | No underlying causes |
| Dermatologic | No underlying causes |
| Drug Side Effect | No underlying causes |
| Ear Nose Throat | No underlying causes |
| Endocrine | No underlying causes |
| Environmental | Macropolyspora faeni, thermactinomyces vulgaris, thermactinomyces sacchari, aspergillus, cryptostroma corticale, aureobasidium pullulans, penicillium, bacillus subtilis, bacillus cereus, bird droppings, nepheline, and diatomaceous earth |
| Gastroenterologic | No underlying causes |
| Genetic | No underlying causes |
| Hematologic | No underlying causes |
| Iatrogenic | No underlying causes |
| Infectious Disease | Macropolyspora faeni, thermactinomyces vulgaris, thermactinomyces sacchari,Ā aspergillus, cryptostroma corticale,Ā aureobasidium pullulans, penicillium,Ā bacillus subtilis,Ā bacillus cereus, bird droppings, nepheline, and diatomaceous earth |
| Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic | No underlying causes |
| Neurologic | No underlying causes |
| Nutritional/Metabolic | No underlying causes |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | No underlying causes |
| Oncologic | No underlying causes |
| Ophthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose/Toxicity | No underlying causes |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | No underlying causes |
| Renal/Electrolyte | No underlying causes |
| Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy | No underlying causes |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | No underlying causes |
| Urologic | No underlying causes |
| Miscellaneous | Coal dust, graphite, tin, aluminum, cadmium, tungsten, titanium, cobalt, iron, antimony, hematite, mixed dusts of silver and iron oxide, copper sulfate neutralized with hydrated lime, cerium, scandium, yttrium, and lanthanum |
Causes in Alphabetical Order
- Acrylic
- Aluminum
- Aluminum silicates
- Antimony
- Asbestos
- Aspergillus
- Aureobasidium pullulans
- Bacillus cereus
- Bacillus subtilis
- Beryllium
- Bird droppings
- Cadmium
- Cerium
- Chlorine gas
- Coal dust
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Copper sulfate neutralized with hydrated lime
- Cryptostroma corticale
- Diacetyl
- Diatomaceous earth
- Diphenylmethane diisocyanate
- Fats
- Graphite
- Hematite
- Hydrocarbons
- Iron
- Kaolin
- Lanthanum
- Macropolyspora faeni
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Mercury
- Methyl isocyanate
- Mica
- Nepheline
- Nickel
- Nylon
- Oils
- Orlon
- Oxygen
- Penicillium
- Polyesters
- Portland cement
- Pyrethrum
- Scandium
- Selenium
- Silica
- Sulfur dioxide
- Talc
- Thermactinomyces vulgaris
- Thermoactinomyces sacchari
- Thermosetting resins
- Tin
- Titanium
- Toluene diisocyanate
- Trimellitic anhydride
- Tungsten
- Vinyl chloride
- Yttrium
- Zinc
References
References
- ā Goldman RH, Peters JM (1981). “The occupational and environmental health history”. JAMA. 246 (24): 2831ā6. PMIDĀ 7310975.
- ā Banauch GI, Hall C, Weiden M, Cohen HW, Aldrich TK, Christodoulou V, Arcentales N, Kelly KJ, Prezant DJ (2006). “Pulmonary function after exposure to the World Trade Center collapse in the New York City Fire Department”. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 174 (3): 312ā9. doi:10.1164/rccm.200511-1736OC. PMCĀ 2648115. PMIDĀ 16645172.
- ā Banauch GI, Dhala A, Alleyne D, Alva R, Santhyadka G, Krasko A, Weiden M, Kelly KJ, Prezant DJ (2005). “Bronchial hyperreactivity and other inhalation lung injuries in rescue/recovery workers after the World Trade Center collapse”. Crit. Care Med. 33 (1 Suppl): S102ā6. PMIDĀ 15640671.
- ā Prezant DJ, Weiden M, Banauch GI, McGuinness G, Rom WN, Aldrich TK, Kelly KJ (2002). “Cough and bronchial responsiveness in firefighters at the World Trade Center site”. N. Engl. J. Med. 347 (11): 806ā15. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa021300. PMIDĀ 12226151.
- ā Tarlo SM, Lemiere C (2014). “Occupational asthma”. N. Engl. J. Med. 370 (7): 640ā9. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1301758. PMIDĀ 24521110.
- ā Tarlo SM, Balmes J, Balkissoon R, Beach J, Beckett W, Bernstein D, Blanc PD, Brooks SM, Cowl CT, Daroowalla F, Harber P, Lemiere C, Liss GM, Pacheco KA, Redlich CA, Rowe B, Heitzer J (2008). “Diagnosis and management of work-related asthma: American College Of Chest Physicians Consensus Statement”. Chest. 134 (3 Suppl): 1Sā41S. doi:10.1378/chest.08-0201. PMIDĀ 18779187.
- ā Christiani DC, Mehta AJ, Yu CL (2008). “Genetic susceptibility to occupational exposures”. Occup Environ Med. 65 (6): 430ā6, quiz 436, 397. doi:10.1136/oem.2007.033977. PMCĀ 3815576. PMIDĀ 18487431.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Hadeel Maksoud M.D.[2]