US EPA

196 

Book/Book Chapter 

Asbestosis in textile manufacturing 

Smither, WJ; Lewinsohn, HC 

1973 

NIOSH/00149732 

IARC Scientific Publication No 

8 

169-174 

Research on asbestosis in textile manufacturing workers in the United Kingdom is reviewed. It is pointed out that although asbestos textiles constitute a minor part of the world textile industry and of the world asbestos production, it is only in recent years that cases of asbestosis in other asbestos applications in the United Kingdom have exceeded those in the textile industry. This is largely because asbestos textile manufacture is a dry process with high dust exposure. Chrysotile asbestos is most generally used in textile manufacture although crocidolite is also employed. Comparison of fiber in dusts in various occupational exposures shows textile manufacture to produce dust with 68 percent asbestos compared to 22 percent in friction materials, 25 percent in shingle manufacture, and 12 percent in pipe production. It is generally agreed that when dust concentrations in various operations in asbestos textile processes are compared, carding produces the greatest dust concentrations. A review of 247 new asbestosis cases in 1965 shows 42 percent in asbestos insulation application compared to 16 percent in asbestos textile operations. Reductions in asbestosis cases are reported in the United Kingdom asbestos textile factories from 1930 to 1968. Although overall dust concentration reductions are seen, carding and spinning remain the dustiest operations. The development of wet processes for asbestos textile manufacture and processes which avoid mechanical opening and carding are discussed. It is noted that the inadequacy of historic data on asbestos exposures in the textile industry will make quantitation of asbestosis preconditions difficult. Examinations of the causes of death in asbestos textile workers show concurrence with other branches of the asbestos industry with bronchogenic carcinomas and mesotheliomas of peritoneum or pleura predominating. The authors conclude that an urgent need exists for standardization of information recording regarding asbestos exposure, fiber type, dust concentrations, and industrial process and duration.