[en] To investigate the asbestos burden in a steelplant environment, we counted asbestos bodies (ABs) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of 65 steel workers who had retired during the previous 5 y. They had worked for at least 15 y in the same area of the plant (coke oven or blast furnace) as maintenance or production workers. On the basis of occupational anamnesis, 28 had occasional past professional exposure to asbestos; the remaining 37 workers denied any contact with asbestos. A total of 54 white-collar workers who had no occupational exposure to asbestos were included in the study as controls. An increased prevalence and concentration of ABs was found in the BALF of steel workers. Electron microscopy and EDAX analysis of AB from steel workers revealed that the core fibers were mainly amphiboles. More ABs were found in the BALF of maintenance workers than in production workers. However, the BALF from steel workers who denied any contact with asbestos revealed an increased AB burden v. controls. This demonstrates that steel workers may be subject to an occult exposure to amphiboles in the steelplant environment.
Disciplines :
Cardiovascular & respiratory systems
Author, co-author :
CORHAY, Jean-Louis ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Pneumologie-Allergologie
Delavignette, Jean-Paul ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la santé publique > Santé au travail et éducation pour la santé (STES)
Bury, Thierry ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la motricité > Physiologie humaine et physiologie de l'effort physique
Saint-Remy, P
Radermecker, Maurice ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Relations académiques et scientifiques (Médecine)
Language :
English
Title :
Occult exposure to asbestos in steel workers revealed by bronchoalveolar lavage.
Publication date :
1990
Journal title :
Archives of Environmental Health
ISSN :
0003-9896
Publisher :
Heldref Publications, Washington, United States - District of Columbia
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