The action of quartz in the presence of iron hydroxides in the human lung.
In 1932 Kettle reported that the fibrogenic action of quartz particles is inhibited when they are coated with iron. Many authors subsequently confirmed this finding. Reif et al., who studied the effect of different iron-ore mine dusts, showed that, like aluminium hydroxide, iron hydroxide has a strong effect in inhibiting the fibrogenic action due to quartz. The findings of this paper, based on an X-ray survey of a group of 7735 iron ore miners, on autopsy examinations, tissue dust analysis and physiological examinations, confirm the view that FeO(OH) is a most powerful inhibiting substance.
D000328:Adult; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron; D008875:Middle Aged; D008906:Mining; D012829:Silicosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
D007501:Iron