Contemporary work-related environmental diseases

This paper is a general review of occupational diseases with particular emphasis on contemporary work-related diseases. Reasons for the difficulties in diagnosis and treatment of industrial disease are given. The basic principles of occupational health are reviewed. The particular occupational diseases discussed in detail are the clinical pneumoconioses, and the contemporary diseases: angiosarcoma from exposure to vinyl chloride and respiratory carcinoma from bichloromethyl ether exposure. Numerous other environmental hazards are mentioned. The role of the Occupational Safety and thealth Administration (OSHA) is discussed, as is the role of the physician from the point of view of taking an appropriate medical history from an occupational vantage and medical diagnosis of occupational disease. Attitudinal aspects are emphasized.