Module 4: ORGANIC DUSTS

OBJECTIVES
By the end of this module, you should:
  1. have an overview of the various sources of hazardous exposure to organic dusts and the major agents responsible for the health effects observed;
  2. be familiar with some of the common occupational diseases associated with organic dusts and the immunological mechanisms involved;
  3. be familiar with some of the common occupational allergic diseases and the body systems involved;
  4. be familiar with the causes, clinical features and management of organic dust toxic syndrome and hypersensitivity pneumonitis;
  5. be familiar with the health effects associated with common organic dusts in occupational exposure settings such grain, cotton and wood dust.

This introductory page contains links to other pages in this section. These are included for your convenience, both for reference and for revision purposes. It is strongly recommended, however, that you first access the material in its logical sequence, indicated by the "Next Page" link above.

ACTIVITIES:

  1. A lecture will provide the overview. Revise these notes.
  2. Work through the exercise.

REFERENCES:

  1. Jeebhay MF. An approach to hazardous biological agents in the workplace - legal provisions and practical considerations. Occupational Health Southern Africa, 8(2), 8-13, 2002.
  2. Government Gazette. Circular instruction regarding compensation for byssinosis under COIDA. Circular Instruction No.175.
  3. Rylander R, Schilling RSF. Diseases caused by organic dusts. In Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety. Eds Stellman et al. ILO (4th ed) 1998;10:24-27.
  4. Merchant JA, Thorne PS, Reynolds SJ. Hazards in the workplace and the environment. Biologic factors - Animal exposures. In textbook on Clinical Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Eds Rosenstock L, Cullen. 1994;28:688-693.
  5. Merchant JA, Thorne PS, Reynolds SJ. Hazards in the workplace and the environment. Biologic factors - Plant and vegetable exposures. In textbook on Clinical Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Eds Rosenstock L, Cullen. 1994;28:693-699.
  6. Cormier Y, Richerson HB, Rose CS. Hypersenstivity pneumonitis and organic dust toxic syndromes. In Asthma in the Workplace. Eds Bernstein IL, Chan-Yeung M, Malo JL and Bernstein DI. Marcel Decker Inc. (2nd ed) 1999; 33:635-656.
  7. Stark J, Rees D. Occupational Allergies: Immunology, Diagnosis and Compensation. Current Allergy and Clinical Immunology 1998;2:20-27.
  8. Rose C. Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis. In textbook on Clinical Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Eds Rosenstock L, Cullen. 1994;11:242-248.
  9. Kishiyama JL. Clinical Immunology. In Current Occupational and Environmental Medicine, LaDou J (editor). Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill, 3rd edition, New York, 14:188-211, 2004.
  10. Pickering CAC, Newman Taylor A. Extrinsic allergic bronchioloalveolitis (hypersensitivity pneumonitis). In Occupational Lung Disorders, Raymond Parkes W (editor)Butterworth-Heineman Ltd, 3rd edition, London, 20:667-709, 1994.
  11. Fink J. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis. In Occupational respiratory diseases, Merchant JA et al (eds). DHHS (NIOSH) Publication no. 86-102:481-500, April 1987.
  12. Asthma in the Workplace. Eds Bernstein IL, Chan-Yeung M, Malo JL and Bernstein DI. Marcel Decker Inc., 2nd edition, 1999.

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Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health (DOH) - Modules 3 – 5: Occupational Medicine & Toxicology by Prof Rodney Ehrlich & Prof Mohamed Jeebhay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
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