MEDICAL DICTIONARY
Popcorn worker's lung: A form of bronchiolitis obliterans, a severe obstructive lung disease, in workers who mix and package flavored microwave-popcorn or are involved in other flavoring manufacturing.
In a typical case, a 40-year-old woman began work on a microwave-popcorn packaging line. She had no chest symptoms, had never smoked, and was accustomed to walking 3 to 5 miles daily. Six months later, she started coughing about a few hours after the start of her shift. Two weeks later, she developed muscle aches, night sweats , and increasing exertional dyspnea (shortness of breath upon exertion). It prevented her from taking her accustomed walks and from lifting 25-lb boxes at work. She had to stop work. Her dyspnea (shortness of breath) continued to increase. She was placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant .
Popcorn worker's lung is due to chronic exposure to a chemical that is used in making artificial butter flavoring. The chemical is diacetyl (2,3-butanedione). High levels of diacetyl damage cells lining the respiratory tract.
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