[Respiratory tract in subjects occupationally exposed to asbestos dust]

Health status of 145 "isolators", in this 50 women, engaged in ship building and repair, inhalating asbestos dust for 2 to 24 years of occupation (10.7 and 1.7 years on average) was examined. High percentage (63.6) of chronic bronchitis was found, especially in those working more than 10 years, and more frequently in women. 13.3% of asbestos cases were diagnosed, in this in the group working longer than 15 years in 47.4%. In 20.6% of those examined, respiratory disfunction was noted, mainly obturative, with no changes in blood gases. Chronic bronchitis was found to have developed earlier and more frequently in women than in men, under the same exposure. This should be a contraindication to employ women on those work--stands where the air is considerably dusted by highly aggressive dusts.