Are cleaning activities a source of exposure to crystalline silica in women with rheumatoid arthritis? A case-control study.

Introduction: Inhalation of crystalline silica (silicon dioxide, SiO) is associated with a wide range of acute and chronic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objectives of this work were to identify the main sources of exposure to SiO in a series of patients with RA not selected on the basis of their professional activity, compared with a representative sample of the French general population, and to assess the association between silica exposure and disease features.

Methods: The Dust Exposure Life-Course Questionnaire (DELCQ) is a tool that enables retrospective quantification of both occupational and non-occupational lifetime exposure to SiO.