Dufresne A, Bégin R, Dion C, Jagirdar J, Rom W N, Loosereewanich P, Muir D C, Ritchie A C, Perrault G
McGill University, Department of Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Sci Total Environ. 1997 Nov 5;206(2-3):127-36.
The lung concentration of angular and fibrous particles has been measured when cases are stratified into their job categories; 21 miners (metallic mines such as gold, zinc and copper), 18 iron foundrymen, 22 non-iron foundrymen, four welders, three sand-blast workers, four construction workers, three technicians and professionals, seven workers in other trades excluding welding. Twelve asbestos miners representing a positive exposure to asbestos and 20 people representing a background population were added to the previous groups.
Particles, both angular and fibrous, were extracted from lung parenchyma by a bleach digestion method, mounted on copper microscopic grids by a carbon replica technique and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Quartz concentration was also determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) on a silver membrane filter after the extraction from the lung parenchyma.
(1) The highest concentrations of quartz were found in mines (metallic mines), iron foundrymen and sand-blast workers. Notable amounts quartz were found in welders and professionals. (2) The highest concentrations of short fibres were found in non-iron foundrymen, asbestos miners and construction workers. (3) The highest concentrations of long fibres were found in non-iron foundry men and asbestos miners. (4) The highest concentrations of ferruginous bodies were found in non-iron foundrymen and asbestos miners. (5) The non-iron foundrymen were exposed to ceramic fibres and asbestos fibres.
The results of the study may not be representative of the broad spectrum of workers in the industrial activities in which they have been involved. However, the detailed composition of the retained particles of our workers is explained both qualitatively and quantitatively by their work histories. Finally, the broad range of particle types identified in the lungs of these workers illustrate the complexity or trying to determine disease origins in these occupational settings.
当根据工作类别对病例进行分层时，已测量了有棱角颗粒和纤维状颗粒在肺部的浓度；21名矿工（金、锌和铜等金属矿）、18名铸铁工人、22名非铸铁工人、4名焊工、3名喷砂工人、4名建筑工人、3名技术人员和专业人员、7名除焊接外其他行业的工人。将12名有石棉接触史的石棉矿工和20名作为背景人群的人员加入到先前的组中。
通过漂白消化法从肺实质中提取有棱角颗粒和纤维状颗粒，采用碳复型技术将其安装在铜显微镜载网上，并通过透射电子显微镜（TEM）和能量色散光谱（EDS）进行分析。在从肺实质中提取后，还通过X射线衍射（XRD）在银膜滤器上测定石英浓度。
（1）在矿山（金属矿）、铸铁工人和喷砂工人中发现石英浓度最高。在焊工和专业人员中发现了相当数量的石英。（2）在非铸铁工人、石棉矿工和建筑工人中发现短纤维浓度最高。（3）在非铸铁工人和石棉矿工中发现长纤维浓度最高。（4）在非铸铁工人和石棉矿工中发现含铁小体浓度最高。（5）非铸铁工人接触陶瓷纤维和石棉纤维。
该研究结果可能不代表他们所从事的工业活动中广大工人的情况。然而，我们研究对象肺部留存颗粒的详细组成可通过他们的工作经历从定性和定量两方面进行解释。最后，在这些工人肺部鉴定出的多种颗粒类型说明了在这些职业环境中确定疾病起源的复杂性。
