Inorganic particles in the lungs of five aluminum smelter workers with pleuro-pulmonary cancer.

This paper reports on the inorganic particles in the lungs of four workers who died from lung cancer and one who died from mesothelioma. All five workers were involved in different operations and activities in aluminum reduction plants. Retained fibrous and nonfibrous particles were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy after lung digestion. Asbestos fibers, fragments of silicates, and metal-rich nonfibrous particles of chromium-cobalt and aluminum were detected. Conclusions drawn from the evaluation of the particles retained in the lungs of only five workers must be cautious. However, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may not be the only contaminants that could explain excess mortality from malignant lung neoplasm in aluminum smelter workers.