Evaluation of workers exposed to dust containing hard metals and aluminum oxide.

BACKGROUND

Fourteen worker exposed to hard metals and aluminum oxide were evaluated.

METHODS

Six heavily exposed workers underwent bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage, and five workers underwent transbronchial biopsy.

RESULTS

Microchemical analysis of transbronchial biopsies showed a high lung burden of exogenous particles, especially metal related to their hard metals exposure. Lung tissue and cellular changes, which were associated with exposure to hard metal and aluminum oxide, corresponded well with the microanalytic test results.

CONCLUSIONS

Three workers had at biopsy diffuse interstitial inflammatory changes: two of them were asymptomatic with normal chest X-ray films, and one had clinically evident disease with severe giant cell inflammation. Two other workers showed focal inflammation. The worker showing clinical disease and one asymptomatic worker with interstitial inflammatory changes had evaluated bronchoalveolar lavage fluid-eosinophilia counts. These two were father (with clinical disease) and son (asymptomatic).