Occupational lung disease classification
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Hadeel Maksoud M.D.[2]
Overview
Overview
Occupational lung disease may be classified according to the type of inhalant into 3 groups: inorganic dust, organic dust, and agents other than inorganic and organic dust.
Classification
Classification
- Occupational lung disease may be classified according to the type of inhalant into 3 groups:
For a full classfication of occupational lung disease, please scroll down
| Occupational lung disease | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organic dust | Inorganic dust | Agents other than organic or inorganic agents | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thermophilic and true fungi | Bacteria and animal proteins | Silicates | Carbons | Metals | Chemicals, gases, fumes, vapors and aerosols | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| • Farmer’s lung (Macropolyspora faeni) • Grain handler’s lung (Thermactinomyces vulgaris) • Humidifier or air conditioner lung (T. sacchari) • Aspergillus • Cryptostroma corticale • Aureobasidium pullulans • Penicillium species | • Bacillus subtilis • B. cereus • Bird fancier’s disease | • Silica (“silicosis”) • Asbestos (“asbestosis”) • Talc (hydrated Mg silicates; “talcosis”) • Kaolin or “china clay” (hydrated aluminum silicate) • Beryllium (“berylliosis”) • Mica (principally K and Mg aluminum silicates) • Portland cement • Aluminum silicates (sericite, sillimanite, zeolite) • Nepheline (hard rock containing mixed silicates) • Diatomaceous earth (Fuller’s earth, aluminum silicate with Fe and Mg) | • Coal dust (“coal worker’s pneumoconiosis”) • Graphite (“carbon pneumoconiosis”) | • Tin (“stannosis”) • Aluminum • Hard metal dusts (cadmium, tungsten, titanium and cobalt) • Iron (“siderosis”) • Antimony • Hematite (mixed dusts of iron oxide, silica and silicates; “siderosilicosis”) • Mixed dusts of silver and iron oxide (“argyrosiderosis”) • CuSO4 neutralized with hydrated lime (Bordeaux mixture; “vineyard sprayer’s lung”) • Rare earths (cerium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum) | Chemical sources: • Synthetic – fiber lung (Orlon, polyesters, nylon, acrylic) • Bakelite worker’s lung pathways • Vinyl chloride, polyvinyl chloride powder Gases: • Oxygen • Oxides of nitrogen • Sulfur dioxide • Chlorine gas • Methyl isocyanate Fumes: • Oxides of zinc, copper, manganese, cadmium, iron, magnesium, nickel, brass, selenium, tin, and antimony • Diphenylmethane diisocyanate • Trimellitic anhydride toxicity Vapors: • Hydrocarbons • Thermosetting resins (rubber tire workers) • Toluene diisocyanate (TDI – asthmatic reactions prominent) • Oxygen • Mercury Aerosols: • Oils • Fats • Pyrethrum (a natural insecticide) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
References
Looking for the patient version?
© 2026 MyEClinic – IFTM Institut für Telematik in der Medizin GmbH