[The incidence of asbestosis in Poland]

The aim of the work was to analyze the incidence of occupational asbestosis. The analysis covered all cases of asbestosis reported to the Central Register of Occupational Diseases during the years 1970-2001. The cases were classified by patients' gender, age, place of employment, duration and magnitude of exposure to asbestos dust. In all, 1779 cases of asbestosis were registered, including 1200 male cases. During the period under study, a growing number of diagnosed cases were observed (from several cases in the early 1970s to several dozens in the 1990s). During the period of 32 years, the average incidence was 0.5 cases per 100,000 employees, and asbestosis contributed in 5.4% to all occupational pneumoconioses. The majority of asbestosis cases was diagnosed in workers employed in the plants of asbestos processing (38.3%) and asbestos-cement products, followed by foundries (13.1%) and shipyards (10.5) workers. The mean age of asbestosis patients was 55 years, and the average duration of employment under exposure to asbestos was about 21 years. The data recorded in the certificates of occupational disease show that asbestos dust concentrations at workplaces ranged from 1.4 to 38.3 mg/m3 (median, 3.8 mg/m3). Shipyard workers were exposed to the highest (Me = 8.0 mg/m3) and asbestos-cement workers to the lowest (Me = 2.8 mg/m3) concentrations.