Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Mar:139:105361.
doi: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2023.105361. Epub 2023 Feb 18.

Systematic review of epidemiological studies evaluating the association between exposure to man-made vitreous fibers and non-malignant respiratory diseases

Natalie Suder Egnot  1 , Hannah Allen  2 , Rebecca Hazan  3 , Mark F Vater  2 , Hristina Denic-Roberts  4 , Renee LeClaire  2 , Gary M Marsh  2
Affiliations
Free article

Systematic review of epidemiological studies evaluating the association between exposure to man-made vitreous fibers and non-malignant respiratory diseases

Natalie Suder Egnot et al. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2023 Mar.
Free article

Abstract

This study aimed to systematically review and synthesize epidemiological evidence evaluating the association between occupational man-made vitreous fiber (MMVF) exposure and non-malignant respiratory disease (NMRD). We searched PubMed and Scopus databases to identify epidemiological studies evaluating the association between occupational MMVF exposure (limited to insulation wools) and at least 1 NMRD outcome published prior to January 2023. A total of 23 studies met our inclusion criteria. Studies of NMRD mortality among workers with MMVF exposure (n = 9) predominately reported null findings. Qualitative and quantitative synthesis of evidence from these studies suggests that MMVF exposure is not associated with elevated risk of NMRD mortality. The remaining 14 studies evaluated NMRD morbidity, specifically self-reported respiratory symptoms and/or subclinical measures of respiratory disease. Our review did not identify any consistent or compelling evidence of an association between MMVF exposure and any NMRD morbidity outcome; however, this body of evidence was largely limited by cross-sectional design, self-reported exposure and/or outcome ascertainment, incomplete statistical analysis and reporting, and questionable generalizability given that 13/14 studies were published over 20 years ago. We recommend that future studies aim to overcome the limitations of this literature to more accurately characterize the association between occupational MMVF exposure and NMRD morbidity.

Keywords: Man-made vitreous fibers; Non-malignant respiratory disease; Occupational epidemiology; Systematic review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: All the authors are or were employed by Cardno ChemRisk while conducting this study, a consulting firm that provides scientific advice to the government, corporations, law firms and various scientific/professional organizations. GM is also Professor Emeritus of Biostatistics and Founding Director of the Center for Occupational Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Financial support for the research described in the manuscript was provided by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA). The funding association had no involvement or influence in the analysis, writing or conclusions of this review. This article was prepared and written exclusively by the authors without review or comment by any outside entity.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

Publication types

MeSH terms