The sources of lead exposure for reported individuals are identified through these reports. The follow-up includes physician outreach for mercury and cadmium. Silicosis Silicosis is a disabling, nonreversible, and sometimes fatal lung disease caused by overexposure to dust containing extremely fine particles of crystalline silica.
Crystalline silica is found in materials such as sand, concrete, masonry, rock, and mineral ores.
When these materials are made into a fine dust and suspended in the air, breathing in these fine particles can produce lung damage. In addition to silicosis, inhalation of crystalline silica particles has been associated with other diseases, such as bronchitis, tuberculosis, and cancer. The DHSS maintains a register of reported silicosis cases, and collects the medical and occupational data necessary to determine if the case meets an epidemiological case definition for silicosis. Worksite follow-up of identified worksites is conducted by DHSS industrial hygienists who evaluate the risk of exposure to silica and recommend control measures to prevent exposure. Surveillance of silicosis has also led to hazard surveillance projects in which a particular industry that generates silica dust is targeted for study.