染土じん肺の本態とその予防に関する衛生学的研究

第2篇い草労働従事者の健康障害, とくに呼吸器障害に関する疫学的研究

抄録

Farmers engaged in rush cultivating and “tatami” mat weaving process are exposed daily to “sendo” dusts. We conducted a health survey of the rush farmers. The results are as follows.
Forty four cases, 32 males and 12 females, of slight fibrosis (PR 1) were devided from 326 subjects examined, 179 males and 147 females, by chest roentogenograms. And 37 cases, 17 males and 20 females, were suspicious (RX) of pneumoconiosis. The longer the working periods in rush labor, the higher prevalence of chest roentogenogram findings were found. And other factors on rush managements also related to the prevalence. The severity of pneumoconiosis is still in early stage and almost PR 1 cases were classified as “the first division of health control” settled by “the Act of Pneumoconiosis” in Japan. But, those subjects examined had complaints of some respiratory symptoms higher percentages than that of farmers not engaged in rush labor. Furthermore, in those subjects relatively high percentages of the cases were defined as impaired lung function, especially with air way obstruction.
The results suggest that the prevalence of respiratory findings of rush farmers relate to the amount of inhaled particles of “sendo” dusts.