title: Elemental analysis of occupational and environmental lung diseases by electron probe microanalyzer with wavelength dispersive spectrometer.
abstract: Occupational and environmental lung diseases are a group of pulmonary disorders caused by inhalation of harmful particles, mists, vapors or gases. Mineralogical analysis is not generally required in the diagnosis of most cases of these diseases. Apart from minerals that are encountered rarely or only in specific occupations, small quantities of mineral dusts are present in the healthy lung. As such when mineralogical analysis is required, quantitative or semi-quantitative methods must be employed. An electron probe microanalyzer with wavelength dispersive spectrometer (EPMA-WDS) enables analysis of human lung tissue for deposits of elements by both qualitative and semi-quantitative methods. Since 1993, we have analyzed 162 cases of suspected occupational and environmental lung diseases using an EPMA-WDS. Our institute has been accepting online requests for elemental analysis of lung tissue samples by EPMA-WDS since January 2011. Hard metal lung disease is an occupational interstitial lung disease that primarily affects workers exposed to the dust of tungsten carbide. The characteristic pathological findings of the disease are giant cell interstitial pneumonia (GIP) with centrilobular fibrosis, surrounded by mild alveolitis with giant cells within the alveolar space. EPMA-WDS analysis of biopsied lung tissue from patients with GIP has demonstrated that tungsten and/or cobalt is distributed in the giant cells and centrilobular fibrosing lesion in GIP. Pneumoconiosis, caused by amorphous silica, and acute interstitial pneumonia, associated with the giant tsunami, were also elementally analyzed by EPMA-WDS. The results suggest that commonly found elements, such as silicon, aluminum, and iron, may cause occupational and environmental lung diseases.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan. Electronic address: ttakada@med.niigata-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan. Electronic address: hiroshim@med.niigata-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan. Electronic address: eiichi@med.niigata-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D003035:Cobalt / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D004391:Dust; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008670:Metals / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010316:Particle Size; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D017973:Tungsten Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D008670:Metals; D017973:Tungsten Compounds; C002802:tungsten carbide; D003035:Cobalt
keywords: BALF; EDS; EPMA; Electron probe microanalyser; Elemental analysis; GIP; Giant cell interstitial pneumonia; HE; HRCT; Hard metal lung disease; Occupational and environmental lung diseases; TBBs; UIP; WDS; bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; electron probe microanalyzer; energy dispersive spectrometers; giant cell interstitial pneumonia; hematoxylin and eosin; high-resolution CT; transbronchial biopsies; usual interstitial pneumonia; wavelength dispersive spectrometer