Original article

Scand J Work Environ Health 1988;14(1):1-15    pdf

https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.1958 | Issue date: Feb 1988

Respiratory health effects from occupational exposure to wood dusts.

by Goldsmith DF, Shy CM

Occupational exposure to wood dusts has been well established as a cause of nasal cancer, dermatitis, and pneumonites from molds growing in wood chips. With the exception of studies on western red cedar asthma, there is a dearth of information on the respiratory toxicity of wood dust exposure. This paper reviews the clinical and epidemiologic literature and identifies the specific woods (with botanical names) and their respiratory disease correlates, including pulmonary function declines, chronic and acute symptoms, and impaired mucociliary transport.