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Psyllium dust

Airborne psyllium or ispaghula fiber powder encountered during handling of bulk-laxative products and other preparations.

Airborne form

fiber

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

occupational asthmarespiratory sensitizationallergic respiratory symptoms

Evidence

HSE’s Asthmagen compendium reports evidence from occupational surveys and specific bronchial-challenge studies that psyllium can cause occupational asthma, with immunological evidence including psyllium-specific IgE and positive skin-prick tests; it concludes that psyllium meets the criteria for classification as a respiratory sensitiser.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 131 · C43: Psyllium — Summary and conclusion · 1
Evidence is available from 3 surveys of occupationally exposed subjects indicating that psyllium can cause occupational asthma. These observations are consistent with clear positive results obtained in five specific bronchial challenge studies following psyllium exposure. The mechanism appeared to be immunological, as indicated by the presence of psyllium specific IgE and positive skin prick tests to psyllium.

CDC/NIOSH includes psyllium among healthcare exposures associated with work-related asthma; this broad listing is an exposure-screening reference and does not quantify risk for every workplace or person.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Healthcare · 1
Psyllium

Controls