[Biological attestation of the fibrogenic effect of dust from selected coal mines on the lung tissue].

The studies aimed at determining the changes in respiratory system of animals after intratracheal administration of settled dusts sampled from seams 116 and 188 in Janina colliery and seams 314 and 317 in Victoria colliery. For comparison, dusts sampled gravimetrically from a/m seams in Janina and Victoria collieries were intratracheally administered to animals. Crystalline silica concentrations determined by Polezajew method in dusts from Janina and Victoria collieries were 2.4% to 8.1% and 1.6% to 2.8%, respectively. Biological aggressiveness of mine dusts was examined using intraperitoneal, pulmonary and hemolytic tests. Hydroxyproline concentration was determined by Stegemann method using the modification of Hurych and Chvapil (2). The results of biochemical analysis were subjected to a statistical analysis by t-Student's test. Specimens from lungs for histopathological examination were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, while collagen fibres were stained by Van Gieson method. A single intratracheal administration of dust collected gravimetrically from 116 seam and settled dust from seam 118 in Janina colciery caused, after six months, a hypro-increase by more than three times comparing with the control group. No correlations were found between higher hypro-levels in lungs and histological changes. It seems probable that higher hypro-levels in lungs can be caused mainly by SiO2 whose concentration in dusts was 8%. Similar concentrations of aluminium and ferrous compounds may suggest that their influence on the biological activity of silica is mutually eliminated. After a six-month intratracheal administration of dusts from Victoria colliery in Wałbrzych, a hypro-decrease was observed compared to a three-month period of administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)