Malignant mesotheliomas in textile rag sorters.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Epidemiology
• Environmental Medicine

Background:

• The textile industry historically utilized asbestos materials.
• Asbestos exposure is a known cause of malignant mesothelioma (MM) and other asbestos-related diseases.
• The province of Prato, Tuscany, has a significant textile industrial history.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze asbestos exposure characteristics in Prato's textile workers.
• To investigate the trend of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in this cohort.
• To identify sources of occupational asbestos exposure.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Tuscan mesothelioma register for textile workers.
• Examined demographic, clinical, and asbestos exposure data for workers in Prato.
• Calculated crude and standardized incidence rates for malignant mesothelioma (MM).

Main Results:

• 172 malignant mesotheliomas (MMs) were diagnosed in Tuscan textile workers; 46.5% resided in Prato.
• All rag sorters with MM were occupationally asbestos-exposed; 71.7% of other textile workers were also exposed.
• High incidence rates of MM were observed in Prato rag sorters, with trends peaking in the 1990s.

Conclusions:

• A very high incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) was found in Prato textile workers, especially rag sorters.
• The high number of asbestos-related diseases in rag sorters supports diffuse asbestos exposure in this occupation.
• The findings underscore the need for continued vigilance regarding asbestos-related risks in historical industrial settings.