Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026
A Silicosis Mouse Model Established by Repeated Inhalation of Crystalline Silica Dust
Published on: January 6, 2023
Silicosis among agate workers at Shakarpur: An analysis of clinic-based data
Nayanjeet Chaudhury1, Ajay Phatak, Rajiv Paliwal
1Division of Chronic Diseases, Asian Institute of Public Health, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India.
Background:
There is a high prevalence of silicosis and other morbid conditions leading to early death among agate workers at Khambhat of Gujarat.
Aims:
The present study describes the prevalence of X-ray positive silicosis in a sample of a high-risk group visiting a clinic at Shakarpur of Khambhat.
Settings And Design:
A cross-sectional study among 123 clinically suspected cases was conducted over 6 months.
Materials And Methods:
A chest physician and a radiologist independently evaluated the Chest X-rays of 123 clinically suspected patients of silicosis. Silicosis was confirmed if either of them rated the X-ray as positive.
Statistical Analysis:
Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were done using SPSS software version 14.
Results:
Out of 123 cases, 85 (69.1%) were confirmed as silicosis. There was no significant difference in the prevalence between males (70.3%) and females (69.4%). Workers with more than 10 years of exposure to silica had an odd ratio of 4.8, 95% CI (1.76, 13.60) compared to those with less than 10 years of exposure. A logistic regression analysis showed that for every extra year of exposure, the odds of getting silicosis increased by about 12%.
Conclusions:
This study highlights the catastrophic effects of exposures to silica in agate worker, which calls for urgent protective measures for this population.
