title: Electron microscopic analysis of asbestos body cores from the Belgian urban population.
abstract: Typical ferruginous bodies considered as asbestos bodies (AB) were collected from the lungs of 19 asbestos-exposed and 25 non-exposed urban subjects. Of the 319 body cores analysed by energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), 315 were asbestos. The non-asbestos cores were talc and crystalline silica. 89.2% of the asbestos cores were commercial amphiboles (amosite/crocidolite), 7% were chrysotile and 3.8% were non-commercial amphiboles (anthophyllite/tremolite). The commercial amphibole bodies were found in exposed and non-exposed subjects and chrysotile bodies mostly in exposed subjects. The non-commercial amphibole bodies were detected in non-exposed patients with low lung AB levels; this background contamination would be more difficult to detect in lungs containing large amounts of bodies due to occupational exposure. Chrysotile bodies and tremolite/anthophyllite bodies were not observed together. We suggest that in Belgium the source of non-commercial amphiboles exposure is not contamination by chrysotile.
authors.affiliation: Chest Department, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yourassowsky
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dumortier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Vuyst
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yernault
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001194:Asbestos / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008168:Lung / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D008667:Metalloproteins; D001194:Asbestos; D007501:Iron