Smoking and the pulmonary mineral particle burden.

The total pulmonary mineral particle burden and types of environmental particles were assessed in relation to smoking in 11 unselected autopsy lungs from adult male smokers and paired male non-smokers matched by age and lung. The lungs were fixed intrabronchially with formalin-polyethylene glycol-alcohol solution at a standard pressure and air-dried. A sample of 1-2 cm3 was taken from the posterior or apicoposterior segment of the right/left upper lobe and plasma ashed at low temperature. The mineral particles were identified by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), electron microprobe analysis and electron diffraction. The number, mass and volume were calculated from the STEM image. The smokers' lung tissue had a lower number (54 +/- 15 X 10(6), mass (5.1 +/- 3.2 micrograms), volume (183 +/- 122 X 10(-5) mm3) and surface area (104 +/- 44 mm2/cm3 of lung tissue) of particles than the non-smokers' lung tissue (68 +/- 42 X 10(6), 12.6 +/- 13.4 micrograms, 468 +/- 501 X 10(-5) mm3 and 191 +/- 167 mm2/cm3 of lung tissue, respectively). All mineral types except talc were more numerous in the non-smokers' than in the smokers' lung tissue. The mineral particles were typical of the Finnish bedrock: quartz 15 +/- 7%, plagioclase 8 +/- 4%, microcline 13 +/- 5%, micas 22 +/- 10%, talc 4 +/- 4% and kaolinite 10 +/- 5%. Fibres were observed in only 2 cases, amounting to 1% in each. The lower mineral particle content of the smokers' lungs probably reflects more active clearance mechanisms caused by cigarette smoke.

Hard metal lung disease: a clinical, histological, ultrastructural and X-ray microanalytical study.

Four employees occupied in hard metal grinding work at the same machine shop developed interstitial lung disease after 2-7 years of working. Open lung biopsies from two of them showed giant cell interstitial pneumonia with bronchiolitis. The multinucleate giant cells were shown by electron microscopy to include both pneumocytes and macrophages. The giant pneumocytes were severely damaged, the endoplasmic reticulum being swollen and the few lamellar bodies being small, and some mitoses were visible in the pneumocytes. No mitoses were found in the giant macrophages. Pulmonary dust particles were studied in situ by scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometry. Cobalt was no longer found in most of the pulmonary hard metal particles, but it was regularly detected in grinding dust particles in air samples studied by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometry.

Quantitative x ray microanalysis of pulmonary mineral particles in a patient with pneumoconiosis and two primary lung tumours.

The right upper lung lobe of a 74 year old man was resected for a central tumour. Two primary cancers were found; a central small cell carcinoma and a peripheral squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, the peripheral lung tissue showed generalised peribronchiolar fibrosis extending from the non-respiratory bronchioles to the level of the alveolar ducts. Abundant asbestos bodies and large amounts of black dust were seen around the bronchioles. Pulmonary mineral particles were studied by quantitative energy dispersive x ray microanalysis (EDS) using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The x ray spectra for mineral particles were measured in thin sections, and the characteristic peak intensities of the elements were converted to weight fractions (in oxides). The results enabled the minerals present to be identified and their presence confirmed by calculating the mineral formula. These originated from nine natural minerals, anthophyllite and chrysotile asbestos, talc, and quartz, feldspars, and muscovite, which are components of sand, and also from two artificial mullites used in fire clay. The exposure history of the patient explained the most likely origins of the minerals detected. The patient had been a mason for 23 years, repairing and demolishing stoves and fireplaces and using asbestos for insulation work.