Nearly half of all adult asthma cases – 48 percent -- might be related to work – and thus, preventable -- according to a study published in the CDC’s MMWR last month. This finding means as many as 2.7 million U.S. workers might have asthma caused by or exacerbated by workplace conditions.
Declaring the risks of contracting permanent or deadly lung disease “serious,” the CDC recently finalized a warning to employers and workers in the coffee, popcorn and other food and beverage businesses: Beware of diacetyl.
Smoking leaves its “footprint” on the human genome in the form of DNA methylation, a process by which cells control gene activity, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, an American Heart Association (AH) journal.
New research from North Carolina State University connects several pesticides commonly used by farmers with both allergic and non-allergic wheeze, which can be a sensitive marker for early airway problems.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigators have found that that the highest rates of airway obstruction were in jobs related to installation, maintenance, and repair; construction; and oil and gas extraction.
A Philadelphia refinery’s plans to expand operations is drawing opposition from local residents, clergy members and environmental activists who say it will emit toxic emissions and endanger the health of people living nearby.
A USC study that tracked Southern California children over a 20-year period has found they now have significantly fewer respiratory symptoms as a result of improved air quality.
OSHA’s final rule on Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline may not be so final after all. During a hearing yesterday by the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections entitled, “Reviewing Recent Changes to OSHA’s Silica Standards,” its chairman, Republican Congressman Tim Wahlberg (MI-07), hinted that Congress may attempt a legislative end run around the regulation.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced a final rule to improve protections for workers exposed to respirable silica dust. The rule will curb lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease in America's workers by limiting their exposure to respirable crystalline silica.
