Pulmonary cytology in foundry workers

The prevalence of cellular atypias has been determined in relation to smoking history, age and type of work of male foundry workers in different departments of a foundry. Participation of the workers was 95%. Out of 677 workers, 528 had results within normal limits, 36 showed mild atypical metaplasia while 4 persons got moderate atypias; 48 individuals showed unsatisfactory results and 61 did not complete the tests. Prevalence of abnormal findings ranged from 4.2% in non-smokers to 7.8% in smokers of more than 21 cigarettes. The prevalence also increased with age in smokers only. Variations in prevalence associated with employment in different departments of the foundry varied little and were not statistically significant.