2. WHAT IS Crystalline Silica?
Silica is one of the most abundant
minerals in the earths crust
composed of silicon and oxygen.
Silica is found commonly in
crystalline quartz state and rarely
in tridymite & cristobalite state.
Silica is found in varying amounts
in almost all types of rock, sands,
clays, shale and gravel. Sandstone
is almost pure quartz whereas
granite might contain 15-30%
quartz.
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wikipedia
3. 1 to 10 µm in size
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WHAT IS respirable Silica?
4. SOURCES OF RESPIRABLE SILLICA
DRILLING
DEMOLITION
GRINDING
CUTTING
ROAD WORK
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CONSTRUCTION
WORKS
6. Silicosis is a slow, progressive, occupational, irreversible
pulmonary lung disease that usually occurs, after many years
of exposure with fine respirable crystalline silica particles (RCS).
Full name :- pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
Health Hazards
False-colour x-ray of the chest area of a person suffering from
silicosis. Image sourced from Science Photo Library 2011
X-ray of the chest area of a person suffering from
silicosis. Image sourced from Science Photo Library 2011
WHAT IS silicosis?
(WHO)
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7. SYMPTOMS
wikipedia
It is hard to diagnosis at early stage.
In early stage , the symptoms may be
Dyspnea (shortness of breath) exacerbated by excertion
Cough, often persistent and sometime severe
Fatigue, Chest pain, Fever
Tachypnea (rapid breathing) which is often labored
Loss of appetite and weight loss (Anorexia)
Gradual dark shallow rifts in nails eventually leading to cracks as
protein fibers within nail beds are destroyed.
In advance cases, the following may occurs
•Cyanosis(Blue Skin)
•Cor pulmonale (right venticle heart disease)
•Respiratory insufficiency, Tuberculosis, Lung Cancer
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8. HOW DOES IT AFFECT
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Physically Weak
Respiratory
System & Lungs
Skin Problems
9. PATHPHYSIOLOGY OF SILICOSIS
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Inhalation of
Silica Dust
Reach upto deep
lung (Aleveoli)
O2 - CO2 are exchanged here
gets inhibits due to dust deposit. The
dust can not be cleared by mucus or
coughing
Tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-I,
leukotriene-B4 & cytokines.
These stimulate
fibroblasts to
proliferate & produce
collagen around silica
particle
Fibrosis and
formation of the
nodular lesions
Silicosis affected lung slice Wikipedia
Exact
Pathphysiology
is still unknown
10. SILICOSIS DEPENDS ON
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The amount and kind of dust inhaled.
The percentage of free silica in the dust.
The form of silica.
The size & shape of silica particle.
The duration of exposure.
The individual’s natural body resistance.
The presence or absence of complicating factors (such as
infection vectors).
Luton Lina
11. DETECTION OF SILICOSIS
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Early detection is difficult-
Absence of symptoms
Radiography-X ray of chest
(Shows fibrous tissues)
Work History - Helps
differentiating Silicosis with
other dust causing disease such
as Asbestosis.
Lung function test using
spirometer.
Luton Tina
12. 12
PREVENTION & CONTROL OF SILICOSIS
• elimination of process.
• substitution of materials
• substitution/modification of processes and equipment
• maintenance of equipment
• wet methods
• work practices
At
Source
• isolation: - of the source (closed systems,
enclosures)
• - of workers (control cabins)
• local exhaust ventilation
Transmission
Path
• Work Practices
• Education and training
• Personal hygiene
• Personal protective equipment
• Health surveillance
At
worker
At Work
environment
Luton Tina
HIERARCHY OF
CONTROL
At Source
Path
Worker
•Layout Change, storage, labeling
•Good housekeeping, Env. Monitoring/alarm
•Warning sign for restricted area
WHO
17. CASE STUDY
Workers of stone mine of District Jodhpur
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There are 15000 unorganized stone mines.
By random sampling , 49 mines and 376 workers, taken
for study
<20, 27
20-29, 17430-39, 112
40-49, 43
>50, 20 Numbers with Age Distribution
<5Yr, 185
5-9Yr, 126
10-15Yr, 45
>16Yr, 20 Numbers With Duration of Work
Yadav, Anand
18. CASE STUDY
Workers of stone mine of District Jodhpur
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Silica dust<10µm,
263
Impure Water, 14
Poor Hygiene, 13
Changing
environment, 21
impure food, 26
Don't
Know,
39
Numbers with cause
Yadav, Anand
19. CASE STUDY
Workers of stone mine of District Jodhpur
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Malaise, disturbed
sleep, hoarseness,
giddiness and
headache with
fever, 77
Fever with loss
of wieght, 78Cough with
breathlessness
and chest pain,
123
Weakness, loss of
appetite and fever,
46
Don't Know,
53
Numbers with Symptom
Yadav, Anand
20. GOVERNMENT RESPONCE
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•Rs 100,000 to each silicosis-affected person.
•Rs 300,000 to family of a person dies from silicosis.
PAYMENTS ARE MADE BY
RAJASTHAN ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH
ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
Ahmad Absar
21. REFERENCES
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1) GOHNET, The Global Occupational Health Network, WHO, Issue No.12-2007.
2) Ahmad Abrar, Silicosis, Mining, and Occupational Health in India’s Sandstone
Industry; Dec 24th , 2015.
3) www.google.co.in
4) Wikipedia; Silicosis.
5) ICMR Bulletin, Vol29, No 9, September, 1999.
6) National Conference on Silicosis, July 24th 2014.
7) Tina Luton, Silicosis, Educate Eliminate Eradicate, Issue12.
8) Recommendation of NHRC on preventive, remedial, rehabilitative and
compensation aspects of silicosis.
9) Absar Ahmad,”Are the Sandstone Miners Abused in India?” Indian Journal of
Community Health 2015;27,2:286-289.
10) Yadav S. P. , Anand P.K. ; Awareness And Practices About Silicosis Among The Sand
Stone Quarry Workers in Desert Ecology of Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
11) Indian Bureau of Mines(IBM), Indian Minerals Year book (Nagpur: Ministry of
Mines, Government of India, 2012).
