"Background:
Crystalline silica is a human carcinogen and its use is widespread among construction, mining, foundries, and other manufacturing industries.
Purpose:
To evaluate occupational exposure to crystalline silica in Italy.
Methods:
Data were collected from exposure registries and descriptive statistics were calculated for exposure-related variables. The number of potentially exposed workers was estimated in a subset of industrial sectors. Linear mixed model analysis was performed to determine factors affecting the exposure level.
Results:
We found 1387 cases of crystalline silica exposure between 1996 and 2012. Exposure was most common in construction work (AM?=?0·057 mg/m3, N?=?505), and among miners and quarry workers (AM?=?0·048 mg/m3, N?=?238). We estimated that 41?643 workers were at risk of exposure in the selected industrial sectors during the same period.
Conclusions:
This study identified high-risk sectors for occupational exposure to crystalline silica, which can help guide targeted dust control interventions and health promotion campaigns in the workplace."

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