This paper reviews associations in literature between exposure to wood dust from fresh wood and non-malignant respiratory diseases. Criteria for inclusion are epidemiological studies in English language journals with an internal or external control group describing relationships between wood dust exposure and respiratory diseases or symptoms. The papers took into account smoking, and when deali...

INTRODUCTION Wood pellets are used as a source of renewable energy for heating purposes. Common exposures are wood dust and monoterpenes, which are known to be hazardous for the airways. The purpose of this study was to study the effect of occupational exposure on respiratory health in wood pellet workers. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-nine men working with wood pellet production at six plants...

Wood contains the majority of the nutrients in tropical trees, yet controls over wood nutrient concentrations and their function are poorly understood. We measured wood nutrient concentrations in 106 tree species in 10 forest plots spanning a regional fertility gradient in Panama. For a subset of species, we quantified foliar nutrients and wood density to test whether wood nutrients scale with ...

of wood debris size and shape is proposed for use in river and stream channel surveys and restoration projects. Dividing wood debris length and diameter into seven categories, respectively distinguished by an alphanumeric code, results in a total of forty-nine distinct size and shape categories. Intended to be analogous to the phi class intervals used to characterize channel bed substrate, this...

Whatever the species considered, trees reorient their axis by a very active mechanical action driven by variations of cambial activity. These variations of cambial activity will lead to variations in anatomy and ultrastructure of the xylem to achieve this biomechanical function, forming a type of wood called reaction wood, i.e. tension wood in angiosperms and compression wood in gymnosperms. Th...

OBJECTIVES Occupational exposure to wood dust has been shown to cause several respiratory disorders, such as allergic rhinitis, chronic bronchitis, asthma, sino-nasal adenocarcinoma, and impairment of lung function. The aim of the study was to estimate lung function (in the woodworking industry) among workers employed by wood processing, who run the risk of being expose to wood dust. METHODS ...

Random orbital (rotating) hand sanders have been found to create significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer. Therefore, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health* (NIOSH) recommends limiting wood dust exposures to pre...

The use of large diameter disc sanders creates significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer. Therefore, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health* (NIOSH) recommends limiting wood dust exposures to prevent these health ...

The main biological function of reaction wood is to act as “muscle” for trees, enabling them to control their posture. The key property to achieve this function is the development of high mechanical stress during the formation of reaction wood cells, called “maturation strains”. Actually, reaction wood formation is basically the asymmetric formation of wood around the tree circumference, with h...