The difference between pneumoconiosis and silicosis, the causes of both should be known

Pneumoconiosis and silicosis are both common lung diseases, both of which cause symptoms such as coughing, sputum, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. A small number of patients may also experience hemoptysis. The difference between the two is that the causes are different, so we should take precautions against both diseases.

1. Pathological causes of silicosis

Free silicon dioxide mainly exists in crystalline form in quartz, granite, yellow sand, etc., usually called quartz, including quartz, flint, cristobalite, tridymite and rare black silica. Among them, tridymite causes the most serious fibrosis, followed by cristobalite, and then quartz. Quartz is the most widely distributed in nature, so quartz dust is the most harmful to the human body. When silicon exists in the form of compounds, such as feldspar and granite, its fibrogenic properties change and are less harmful to the lungs than free silicon dioxide. There are many industries that come into contact with quartz: about 95% of ores contain different proportions of free silica, some can be as high as 90% or more. Work involving contact with dust containing more than 10% free silica is usually called silica dust work. The maximum allowable concentration of dust in the production environment is: 2 mg/m3 when the free silica in the air is below 10%, and 1 mg/m3 when it is below 80%. Exceeding the above standards will easily lead to illness. The higher the content of free silica in the air, the smaller the particles (1-3 μm), and the longer the contact time, the more likely it is to get sick, the faster the disease progresses, and the more typical the lesions. When mining various metal mines, a large amount of quartz dust will be encountered during the processes of drilling, blasting, crushing, beneficiation, and coal excavation. Other industries such as tunnel excavation, quartz grinding, cement manufacturing, sandblasting cleaning in the metal casting process, polishing to remove burrs on the surface of metal casting, quarrying, glass manufacturing, pottery, craft tiles, enamel manufacturing and refractory materials all come into contact with silica.

So far, silicosis is still the most serious pneumoconiosis. Once silicosis occurs, it can slowly progress even if the patient stops being exposed to the disease. So far, there is no satisfactory treatment. Silicosis can cause loss of ability to work, but if the patient is not exposed to dust and has no complications, he or she can still survive for a long time. Among pneumoconiosis, silicosis has the highest incidence rate. The severity of silicosis depends on three factors: dust concentration in the air, the content of free silica in the dust and the contact time. In addition, protective measures and individual factors such as personal habits (smoking), upper and lower respiratory tract diseases, etc. have a certain impact on the occurrence and development of silicosis.

2. Pathological causes of pneumoconiosis

Pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung disease

Pneumoconiosis (called pneumoconiosis in Hong Kong and silicosis in mainland China and Taiwan), also known as pneumoconiosis and sand lung, is a lung fibrosis disease. Patients usually stay in dusty places for a long time. Due to inhaling large amounts of dust, dust accumulates in the alveoli under the terminal bronchi. After a period of time, changes occur in the lungs, forming fibrosis foci. Silicosis is mainly caused by the inhalation of crystalline silica dust. The main components of crystalline silica are soil, sand, granite, and other rock components. The main symptoms of silicosis are: shortness of breath, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, chest pain, dry cough, respiratory failure, and ultimately death. Silicosis can easily lead to other diseases, including lung cancer, bronchitis/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, scleroderma, and even kidney disease.