Dust and non-specific respiratory disorders in foundry workers and coal miners in the Rhine-Ruhr area.

Abstract

A review is given about various epidemiologic and pathologic studies in coal workers and foundry workers, regarding the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema in those workers in the Rhine-Ruhr-area. It is evident that these diseases are much more frequent in dust-exposed workers than in the other population.