Epidemiologic studies of inorganic dust-related lung diseases in The Netherlands

The results of two epidemiologic investigations on dust-related lung diseases are presented. The two studies had different aims and designs. A cross-sectional study was done to investigate the silicosis prevalence in Dutch fine ceramic workers. In the small ceramic workshops in the Gouda region, simple pneumoconiosis is still commonly present (13.3%), whereas the silicosis prevalence in the highly mechanized industries is low (1.7%). Furthermore, heavy smoking seems to enhance the risk for silicosis after long-term exposure to quartz. A case-control study was performed to analyze the relation between dust exposure in the fine ceramic and coal mining industries and lung cancer. No relation between a work history in the dusty trades and lung cancer emerged, and a correlation with a specific histologic tumor cell type could not be demonstrated. Apparently, workers in the Dutch fine ceramic or coal mining industry have no increased risk of developing lung malignancies.