Occupational Lung Disease

Physician-diagnosed asthma, respiratory and cutaneous symptoms, immunologic sensitization and exposures among cleaners

The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of lung and skin symptoms and determine associations between exposures and symptoms. Questionnaires were completed by indoor cleaners and other building workers and results compared between the two groups.

Acute blood pressure responses in healthy adults during controlled air pollution exposures.

Urch B, Silverman F, Corey P, Brook JR, Lukic KZ, Rajagopalan S, Brook RD. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Aug;113(8):1052-5. ABSTRACT: Exposure to air pollution has been shown to cause arterial vasoconstriction and alter autonomic balance. Because these biologic responses may influence systemic hemod

Comparison of crystalline silica (alpha-quartz) calibration standards NIST-SRM 1878 and NIST-SRM 1878a by fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry.

Verma DK, Shaw DS. Ann Occup Hyg. 2005 Jun;49(4):359-61. Epub 2005 Feb 2. PubMed link to article

Evidence based guidelines for the prevention, identification, and management of occupational asthma.

Tarlo SM, Liss GM. Occup Environ Med. 2005 May;62(5):288-9. PubMed link to article

Barriers to diagnosis of occupational asthma in Ontario.

Poonai N, van Diepen S, Bharatha A, Manduch M, Deklaj T, Tarlo SM. Can J Public Health. 2005 May-Jun;96(3):230-3. BACKGROUND: Occupational asthma (OA) refers to asthma caused by workplace-specific substances. A longer duration of symptoms while continuing to be exposed has been associated with a wor

Correlation between nasal symptoms and asthma severity in patients with atopic and nonatopic asthma.

Kanani AS, Broder I, Greene JM, Tarlo SM. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2005 Mar;94(3):341-7. ABSTRACT: Background: The association between allergic rhinitis and asthma has been well recognized, and it has been postulated that rhinitis may worsenasthma. Objective: To investigate the severity�

Mortality among Ontario members of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers.

Finkelstein MM, Verma DK. Am J Ind Med. 2005 Jan;47(1):4-9. BACKGROUND: Dust exposed workers may be at increased risk of pneumoconiosis, stomach cancer, lung cancer, and obstructive lung disease.Bricklayers may experience high exposures to silica and inorganic dusts. The aim of this study was to e

Health effects of air pollution.

Bernstein JA, Alexis N, Barnes C, Bernstein IL, Bernstein JA, Nel A, Peden D, Diaz-Sanchez D, Tarlo SM, Williams PB. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004 Nov;114(5):1116-23. ABSTRACT: The general public, especially patients with upper or lower respiratory symptoms, is aware from media reports th

A cohort study of mortality among Ontario pipe trades workers.

Finkelstein MM, Verma DK. Occup Environ Med. 2004 Sep;61(9):736-42. AIMS: To study mortality in a cohort of members of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada and to compare results with two previous proportional

Relative contributions of PM2.5 chemical constituents to acute arterial vasoconstriction in humans.

Urch B, Brook JR, Wasserstein D, Brook RD, Rajagopalan S, Corey P, Silverman F. Inhal Toxicol. 2004 Jun;16(6-7):345-52. ABSTRACT: Studies have shown associations between acute ambient particulate matter (PM) levels and increases in morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. We have previo