Toxicity Research Team, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA, Exporo, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, Korea.
Toxicol Res. 2014 Mar;30(1):55-63. doi: 10.5487/TR.2014.30.1.055.
The use of indium compounds, especially those of small size, for the production of semiconductors, liquid-crystal panels, etc., has increased recently. However, the role of particle size or the chemical composition of indium compounds in their toxicity and distribution in the body has not been sufficiently investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of particle size and the chemical composition of indium compounds on their toxicity and distribution.
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to two different-sized indium oxides (average particle sizes under 4,000 nm [IO_4000] and 100 nm [IO_100]) and one nano-sized indium-tin oxide (ITO; average particle size less than 50 nm) by inhalation for 6 hr daily, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks at approximately 1 mg/m(3) of indium by mass concentration.
We observed differences in lung weights and histopathological findings, differential cell counts, and cell damage indicators in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid between the normal control group and IO- or ITO-exposed groups. However, only ITO affected respiratory functions in exposed rats. Overall, the toxicity of ITO was much higher than that of IOs; the toxicity of IO_4000 was higher than that of IO_100. A 4-week recovery period was not sufficient to alleviate the toxic effects of IO and ITO exposure. Inhaled indium was mainly deposited in the lungs. ITO in the lungs was removed more slowly than IOs; IO_4000 was removed faster than IO_100. IOs were not distributed to other organs (i.e., the brain, liver, and spleen), whereas ITO was. Concentrations of indium in the blood and organ tissues were higher at 4 weeks after exposure.
The effect of particle size on the toxicity of indium compounds was not clear, whereas chemical composition clearly affected toxicity; ITO showed much higher toxicity than that of IO.
最近，铟化合物，特别是那些小尺寸的化合物，在半导体、液晶面板等的生产中的使用有所增加。然而，铟化合物的颗粒大小或化学成分对其毒性和在体内分布的作用尚未得到充分研究。因此，本研究的目的是研究铟化合物的颗粒大小和化学成分对其毒性和分布的影响。
雄性 Sprague-Dawley 大鼠通过吸入暴露于两种不同大小的氧化铟（平均粒径小于 4000nm[IO_4000]和 100nm[IO_100]）和一种纳米级的铟锡氧化物（ITO；平均粒径小于 50nm），每天 6 小时，每周 5 天，以质量浓度约为 1mg/m(3)的铟进行，持续 4 周。
我们观察到正常对照组和 IO 或 ITO 暴露组之间的肺重和组织病理学发现、差异细胞计数以及支气管肺泡灌洗液中的细胞损伤指标存在差异。然而，只有 ITO 影响了暴露大鼠的呼吸功能。总的来说，ITO 的毒性远高于 IOs；IO_4000 的毒性高于 IO_100。4 周的恢复期不足以缓解 IO 和 ITO 暴露的毒性作用。吸入的铟主要沉积在肺部。与 IOs 相比，ITO 在肺部的清除速度较慢；IO_4000 的清除速度快于 IO_100。IOs 不会分布到其他器官（即大脑、肝脏和脾脏），而 ITO 会。暴露后 4 周时，血液和器官组织中的铟浓度较高。
颗粒大小对铟化合物毒性的影响尚不清楚，而化学成分明显影响毒性；ITO 的毒性明显高于 IO。
