Man-made mineral fiber hazardous properties assessment using transgenic rodents: example of glass fiber testing.

Transgenic BigBlue rats were exposed to CM 44 glass fibers (6.3 mg/m3) by nose only, 6 h/day for 5 days. Two endpoints were examined 1, 3, 14, 28, and 90 days following exposure: fiber biopersistence and mutations in lung DNA. The half-time of the fibers >20 microm was 12.8 days, and mutant frequencies of control and exposed rats were similar across all time points. The mutation spectra of both series were similar after 28 days of fixation time. These results showed that a glass fiber with a high clearance in the lung seems to not present any significant effect on mutagenesis on lung DNA and are in marked contrast to results for asbestos, which caused a twofold mutant frequency increase as described in a previous study.

Comparison of two direct-reading instruments (FM-7400 and Fibrecheck FC-2) with phase contrast optical microscopy to measure the airborne fibre number concentration.

The use of direct-reading instruments to measure the airborne fibre number concentration is on the increase. The response of two of these instruments (FM-7400 and Fibrecheck FC-2) was compared with the conventional method of sampling on filters and counting by phase contrast microscopy. Four types of fibres were studied at different concentrations and relative humidity levels. The FM-7400 can be calibrated by the manufacturer for two different levels of sensitivity (standard and high). For the tests where it was set to the sensitivity level with which it had been calibrated, the ratio of the concentration measured by the instrument to the concentration obtained by the conventional method varied in the range 0.5-1 for the different types of fibres studied (chrysotile, glass wool and ceramic fibres). The Fibrecheck FC-2 is a much less versatile instrument. On the basis of a calibration allowing correct detection of asbestos fibres, it greatly overestimated the concentration of man-made mineral fibres. In its normal calibration state a fine chrysotile aerosol was poorly detected. For man-made mineral fibres, the response was highly dependent on the nature of the fibres. These instruments require calibration with the type of fibres to be studied. Unfortunately, this operation is not always accessible to the user and may require the services of a specialized laboratory, as the manufacturer is not always in a position to carry this out.

Performance of asbestos fibre counting laboratories by transmission electron microscopy.

In France, the owners of buildings have been obliged since February 1996 to ascertain whether asbestos has been incorporated into surfacing materials, insulation products or false ceilings. In certain circumstances, there is also a requirement to measure the airborne asbestos fibre concentration. Three years (1996-1998) of asbestos fibre count reporting are evaluated for the proficiency testing scheme organized in France to evaluate the performance of laboratories using an indirect-transfer transmission electron microscopy procedure to measure the airborne asbestos fibre concentration. Each year eight filters are distributed to each participating laboratory. These filters are obtained by filtering a suspension containing chrysotile or amphibole fibres. In 1996, 36% of the laboratories were rated 1 (the best performers; i.e. those providing counts close to the reference value). Performance improved appreciably in the last round where 85% of the laboratories were rated 1.

Inhaled crocidolite mutagenicity in lung DNA.

We used transgenic mice carrying the lacI reporter gene to study the mutagenesis potential of asbestos crocidolite. The animals were exposed by nose-only inhalation to an aerosol containing 5.75 mg/m(3) crocidolite dust for 6 hr/day and 5 consecutive days. After 1, 4, and 12 weeks, we examined four end points: the cytology of bronchoalveolar lavage, the lung load of crocidolite, the hydrophobic DNA adducts, and the mutations in the lacI reporter gene. Twelve weeks after exposure, nearly 10% of the inhaled fibers remained in the lung (227 +/- 103 ng/mg lung). There was evidence of a typical inflammatory response consisting of multinucleate macrophages at weeks 4 and 12, whereas immediately after the exposure, we observed numerous polymorphonuclear neutrophils. The mutant frequency significatively increased during the fourth week after the exposure: 13.5 [time] 10(-5) in the exposed group versus 6. 9 10(-5) in the control group. The induction factor, defined by the ratio of checked mutants of exposed mice to checked mutants of control mice, was 1.96. The mutation spectrum of control lung DNA and exposed lung DNA was similar, suggesting the possible involvement of a DNA repair decrease in crocidolite-treated animals. We used the (32)P-postlabeling method and did not detect any increase of either 5 mC or bulky adduct in treated mice. This is the first study that demonstrates asbestos mutagenicity in vivo after a nose-only inhalation.

Personal thoracic CIP10-T sampler and its static version CATHIA-T.

A specific version of the personal aerosol sampler CIP 10 was designed, named CIP10-T, for sampling the conventional CEN thoracic fraction. A static sampler, named CATHIA, was also designed. It uses the same sampling head, but the size selected particles are collected onto a filter. The combined particle efficiency of the aspiration slot and the selector was measured in a horizontal wind tunnel at low air velocity, close to 16 cm s-1. The flow rate of both samplers was fixed at its nominal value, i.e., 71 min-1. Two different methods were used: the former was based on the Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (TSI); the latter used the measurement of particle size distribution of the collected samples by the Coulter technique. For the CIP10-T sampler, the particle collection efficiency onto the rotating cup was also measured. For both samplers bias and accuracy maps have been calculated, following the recommendations of a new CEN standard about sampler performance. The bias does not exceed 10% in absolute value for both samplers, within a large range of particle size distribution of the total aerosol. For the CIP10-T sampler, the accuracy map exhibits a large area where the accuracy is better than 10%, corresponding for example to 4 microns < or = MMAD < or = 14 microns for GSD = 2. For the same geometric standard deviation, the accuracy is still better than 20% for 15 microns < or = MMAD < or = 21 microns. For the CATHIA-T sampler, the accuracy map can be roughly divided into two parts. The accuracy remains better than 10% for MMAD < or = 12 microns, and it remains between 10 and 20% for coarser aerosols, with 13 microns < or = MMAD < or = 20 microns, provided GSD > or = 2.

The use of a new static device based on the collection of the thoracic fraction for the assessment of the airborne concentration of asbestos fibres by transmission electron microscopy.

A new static device, the CATHIA sampling head, based on the collection of the thoracic fraction is proposed for the assessment of the airborne concentration of asbestos fibres by transmission electron microscopy. By comparison with a standard aerosol sampling head, it has been shown that this sampler reduces the total mass concentration, but does not introduce any change in the most common index used to characterize an asbestos aerosol fibre, that is the concentration of fibres with length greater than 5 microns, diameter less than 3 microns and length to diameter ratio greater than 3. The homogeneity of the deposited dust on the collection filter favours the use of this sampling head with both the indirect and direct preparation methods.

Short-term crocidolite inhalation studies in mice: validation of an inhalation chamber.

A nose-only inhalation chamber is described: this chamber being computer automated has been particularly designed for mice on which it was validated using a crocidolite aerosol at a nominal concentration of 13.6 mg/m3, 6 h/day during 5 days. A month later the mice showed typical inflammatory bronchoalveolar liquids with many polynucleated or activated macrophages and asbestos bodies. The burden of crocidolite fibers ranged from 345,000 to 1,300,000 fibers per mg of dried lung. This study demonstrates that during the month that followed a short-term mice exposure to crocidolite fibers, the inflammatory response was still persistent. These toxicological endpoints validate the nose-only inhalation chamber to be useful for common or transgenic mice.