Ventilatory lung function changes in family members of asbestos workers

A group of 114 adult family members of asbestos workers were examined for the prevalence of chronic nonspecific respiratory symptoms and ventilatory function changes. There was no difference in the prevalence of any respiratory symptom between the examinees and the matching members of the general population in the study areas. No difference was found between the measured and predicted values of FVC or FEV, or FEF50 in either smoking or nonsmoking men (P greater than 0.05). In contrast, all the measured values in women were significantly lower (P less than 0.0001) than their normal predicted values. Airborne chrysotile weight concentrations in five houses of asbestos workers were found significantly higher than those in four houses without inhabitants occupationally exposed to asbestos.