Pneumoconiosis in workers exposed to silicon carbide.
Two men who had been exposed only to silicon carbide for many years in a factory manufacturing refractory bricks developed bilateral reticulonodular densities, as shown on chest radiograms, and complained of dyspnea. An open lung biopsy of one of them showed a large amount of black material in the fibrosed alveolar septums. Studies by X-ray diffraction revealed that the silicon carbide to which they were exposed did not contain quartz; X-ray powder diffraction analysis of the lung tissue revealed at least 6 different silicon carbides, traces of tungsten carbide, and an insignificant amount of quartz. Line-width analysis of the pattern suggested that the lung contained foreign material, with a significant number of particles smaller than 0.1 micron. The etiologic role of silicon carbide for tissue fibrosis is discussed.
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002244:Carbon / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D012825:Silicon / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017655:Silicon Compounds
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; D017655:Silicon Compounds; D002244:Carbon; C022088:silicon carbide; D012825:Silicon