title: Urinary asbestos fibers and inorganic particles in past asbestos workers.
abstract: To assess the validity of the procedure as a test of asbestos exposure, we compared urinary asbestos fibers with occupational and environmental exposure data in a random sample of 48 subjects with high past asbestos exposure. Occupational and environmental exposure was estimated on questionnaire, pleural plaques were diagnosed with computed tomography, and inorganic fibers and particles were identified by scanning electron microscope with an energy-dispersive spectrometry. Few urinary asbestos fibers (in 15% of workers and 17% of cases with pleural plaques) and high amount of urinary silicate (particularly nonfibrous particles) were detected. Asbestos undergoes dissolution in lung tissues, but the secondary minerals are largely unknown. These materials, possibly nonfibrous silicates or metals, could be excreted with urine. Therefore, another study including a control group is warranted to discriminate the occupational origin of minerals in the urine.
authors.affiliation: a Unit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Sciences , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaina
authors.affiliation: a Unit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Sciences , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mastrangelo
authors.affiliation: b Health and Safety at Work Department (SPSAL) , Local Health Authority No. 12, Veneto Region, Mestre - Venice , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Nicoletta
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ballarin
authors.affiliation: b Health and Safety at Work Department (SPSAL) , Local Health Authority No. 12, Veneto Region, Mestre - Venice , Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scoizzato
authors.affiliation: b Health and Safety at Work Department (SPSAL) , Local Health Authority No. 12, Veneto Region, Mestre - Venice , Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carradori
authors.affiliation: c Regional Epidemiology Service , Veneto Region , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fedeli
authors.affiliation: d Department of Earth Sciences and Interdepartmental Center 'G. Scansetti' for Studies on Asbestos and Other Toxic Particulates , University of Turin , Turin , Italy.
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capella
authors.affiliation: d Department of Earth Sciences and Interdepartmental Center 'G. Scansetti' for Studies on Asbestos and Other Toxic Particulates , University of Turin , Turin , Italy.|e CNR, Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources , Operative Support Unit of Turin , Turin , Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Belluso
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001194:Asbestos / Q000652:urine*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D064347:Microscopy, Electrochemical, Scanning; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D017640:Silicates / Q000652:urine*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D017640:Silicates; D001194:Asbestos
keywords: Asbestos fibers; fibrous silicates; nonfibrous silicates; scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS); urine