OBJECTIVE: To evaluate late respiratory effects from occupational inhalation of talc contaminated with asbestos. METHODS: This was a case series study on 29 former talc mining workers with asbestos contamination, in the municipality of Carandaí, Southeastern Brazil, who were attended at the State Workers’ Health Reference Center in 2004 and 2005. Their clinical and occupational histories were obtained and they underwent spirometry and chest radiography. An exposure score was created; multiplying this by duration produced a cumulative talc exposure index. […]

Hair mercury analysis was carried out on a sample of 219 people living in the main gold mining zone of Colombia, 27 inhabitante of Cartagena City being taken as control sample. For data analysis the sample was divided by occupation and the corresponding the hair mercury concentrations (mean ± SD) were found to be 5.23 ± 5.78, 2.83 ± 3.27, 2.4 ± 2.02 and 1.33 ±0.74 µg/g for fishermen, miners, people of various other activities and the control sample, respectively. […]