lung pain concern

Hello, I was wandering if anyone could offer some advice to my health concern. I'll start from the beginning. About 15 days ago a company started sifting through dirt, old rusty metal, and what ever chemicals may have been in the dirt. The material was from a scrap yard that crushed and cut up junk cars and what ever. At first I thought they were sifting top soil. Then I started filling really terrible after 3 days or so, when I found out everything else. well the sifting created an orange dust cloud that I had been breathing in for that time. Now I am concerned what, if any health problems this may have brought on. For the past 10 - 12 days I have been having all sorts of problems. Mid to upper back pain, dry cough, light headed, dry lips, nausea, weight loss, head ache, slight chest pain, weak arms and legs, and tingly lips at times. Just worried if breathing in this material could cause serious lung problems that quickly? i should mention that I use to smoke, but quit 9.5 years ago.

[Fernando Roque, MD]

Hi.  I can understand your concern about your health.  It might be best to get a sample of that orange dust and have it examined by a laboratory to determine if there are indeed chemicals in the dust which could cause the symptoms you're feeling right now.  Do you use safety equipment (e.g. dust masks, gloves, goggles) while working?  A simple mask can help prevent inhalation of potentially harmful particulate matter in the air.