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4119897 
Journal Article 
History of occupational health in Osaka in relation to phosphorus poisoning 
Horiguchi, S; Endo, G; Nakano, H; Shinagawa, K; Harima, M 
1988 
CIS/90/00542 
1988 
24 
27-32 
Japanese 
A high incidence of phosphorus poisoning was reported in Japan in 1883 among children making lucifer matches in Osaka and Tokushima. Twenty-two cases of phosphorus necrosis (phossy jaw) treated in the Osaka Red Cross Hospital were reported in 1919. The Japanese Government prohibited the use of yellow phosphorus in match manufacturing in 1921. However, cases of phossy jaw still occurred in phosphoric acid, phosphoric acid fertiliser and yellow phosphorus plants. These cases seem to have been due to exposure suffered before 1974: a survey at a phosphoric acid plant in 1954 found concentrations of phosphorus in the air of 0.82 and 0.58mg/m|3| at the measuring points. Seven cases of phossy jaw were found at the plant during 1963-1968. The ages of the victims at diagnosis ranged from 28 to 53 years and the duration of work before the diagnosis ranged from 1 year and 11 months to 10 years.