Trace of Metal Exposure in Hard Metal Lung Disease

A MALE SUBJECT EXPOSED FOR MANY YEARS TO METAL DUSTS FROM GRINDING AND CUTTING HARD METALS WAS INVESTIGATED TO ROLE OUT HARD METAL PNEU- MOCONIOSIS. WHILE CHEST X-RAY FILMS AND HISTOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS SHO- WED A DIFFUSE INTERSTITIAL FIBROSIS AND SEVERE PERIVASCULAR AND PERI- BRONCHIOLAR FIBROSIS CLINICAL ANALYSIS SHOWED OBVIOUS HIGH W, TA AND CO CONCENTRATIONS IN THE PULMONARY SPECIMEN COLLECTED IN COMPARISON TO THE CORRESPONDING DETERMINATIONS IN CONTROL SUBJECTS. IN ADDITION TO W, TA AND CO OTHER ELEMENTS SUCH AS NI, CO, CR, TH AND CD WERE FOUND IN THE LUNG BIOPSY SPECIMEN OF THE WORKER IN AMOUNTS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE CONTROLS. TANTALUM WAS ALSO FOUND IN OBVIOUS CONCENTRATIONS IN BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE AND IN THE BLOOD. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT FOR A BETTER ASSESSMENT OF THE PATHOGENESIS OF THE OBSERVED FIBROSIS OF HARD METAL ORIGIN A MULTIELEMENT CHARAC- TERIZATION OF THE PRELIMINARY TISSUE DURING LIFE-TIME IS OF FUNDAMEN- TAL IMPORTANCE.

SABBIONI Enrico;  PIETRA Romano;  LO CICERO S.;  BARBERIS M.; 

1995-03-15

JRC4191

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC4191,