National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
Part Fibre Toxicol. 2010 Dec 2;7(1):38. doi: 10.1186/1743-8977-7-38.
During the manufacture of tungsten metal for non-sag wire, tungsten oxide powders are produced as intermediates and can be in the form of tungsten trioxide (WO3) or tungsten blue oxides (TBOs). TBOs contain fiber-shaped tungsten sub-oxide particles of respirable or thoracic size. The aim of this research was to investigate whether fiber-containing TBOs had prolonged biodurability in artificial lung fluids compared to tungsten metal or WO3 and therefore potentially could pose a greater inhalation hazard.
Dissolution of tungsten metal, WO3, one fiber-free TBO (WO2.98), and three fiber-containing TBO (WO2.81, WO2.66, and WO2.51) powders were measured for the material as-received, dispersed, and mixed with metallic cobalt. Solubility was evaluated using artificial airway epithelial lining fluid (SUF) and macrophage phagolysosomal simulant fluid (PSF).
Dissolution rates of tungsten compounds were one to four orders of magnitude slower in PSF compared to SUF. The state of the fiber-containing TBOs did not influence their dissolution in either SUF or PSF. In SUF, fiber-containing WO2.66 and WO2.51 dissolved more slowly than tungsten metal or WO3. In PSF, all three fiber-containing TBOs dissolved more slowly than tungsten metal.
Fiber-containing TBO powders dissolved more slowly than tungsten metal and WO3 powders in SUF and more slowly than tungsten metal in PSF. Existing pulmonary toxicological information on tungsten compounds indicates potential for pulmonary irritation and possibly fibrosis. Additional research is needed to fully understand the hazard potential of TBOs.
在制造非下垂钨丝用金属钨的过程中，会生成作为中间体的氧化钨粉末，其形式可以是三氧化钨 (WO3) 或蓝氧化钨 (TBO)。TBO 包含可吸入或胸腔尺寸的纤维状钨亚氧化物颗粒。本研究旨在探究含纤维的 TBO 是否比钨金属或 WO3 具有更长的生物持久性，从而潜在地构成更大的吸入危害。
测量了钨金属、WO3、一种无纤维 TBO（WO2.98）和三种含纤维 TBO（WO2.81、WO2.66 和 WO2.51）粉末的溶解情况，包括原材料、分散体以及与金属钴混合后的情况。使用人工气道上皮衬里液 (SUF) 和巨噬细胞吞噬溶酶体模拟液 (PSF) 评估了溶解度。
与 SUF 相比，钨化合物在 PSF 中的溶解速度慢一个到四个数量级。含纤维 TBO 的状态并未影响它们在 SUF 或 PSF 中的溶解。在 SUF 中，含纤维的 WO2.66 和 WO2.51 比钨金属或 WO3 溶解更慢。在 PSF 中，所有三种含纤维的 TBO 比钨金属溶解更慢。
含纤维 TBO 粉末在 SUF 中的溶解速度比钨金属和 WO3 粉末慢，在 PSF 中的溶解速度比钨金属慢。现有的关于钨化合物的肺毒性信息表明其具有潜在的肺部刺激和可能的纤维化作用。需要进一步研究以充分了解 TBO 的危害潜力。
