Occupational health in environmental engineering: Workers in which industry are most at risk of developing “white lung” disease (asbestosis) and related cancers due to chronic inhalation of fibrous dusts?

Introduction / Context:
Occupational exposure to airborne particulates can cause distinct pneumoconioses. The term “white lung” typically refers to asbestosis, a progressive fibrotic lung disease caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers, and is also linked with mesothelioma and lung cancer. This question checks recognition of the highest-risk industry based on exposure profile and disease epidemiology.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Long-term, poorly controlled workplace exposure is implied.
• Personal protective equipment and engineering controls may be inadequate in the historical context.
• We compare industries by dominant airborne hazard.

Concept / Approach:
Different industries generate different dust types: silica (coal and stone), cotton lint (textiles), and asbestos fibers (asbestos industry). Asbestosis arises specifically from amphibole/serpentine asbestos fibers that deposit deeply in the lungs, triggering inflammation, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis. Therefore, the asbestos sector is classically associated with “white lung” and asbestos-related malignancies.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify disease-agent link: “white lung” → asbestos fibers → asbestos manufacturing, insulation, brake linings, cement sheets.Exclude other dust diseases: coal dust → coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (“black lung”); cotton dust → byssinosis (“brown lung”).Select the industry with direct asbestos fiber handling: asbestos processing and products.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard occupational health texts list asbestos exposure as a leading cause of interstitial fibrosis and mesothelioma, with high incidence in insulation, shipbuilding, and asbestos product manufacturing workers.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Coal mining: associated with black lung (silicotic coal dust), not “white lung”.Limestone mining: mainly calcium carbonate dust; risk of irritation but not classic asbestosis.Textile (cotton): linked to byssinosis.Tanneries: chemical vapors and biohazards, not fibrous mineral dusts.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing various trade names for pneumoconioses and mixing color-based colloquial labels (black/brown/white) without tying them to the actual dust type.

Final Answer:
Asbestos processing and products