Annals of Occupational Hygiene Advance Access originally published online on April 24, 2007
Annals of Occupational Hygiene 2007 51(5):495-500; doi:10.1093/annhyg/mem014
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Measurement of Asbestos Fibre Concentrations in Fluid of Repeated Bronchoalveolar Lavages of Exposed Workers
1 Section of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Immunological Sciences, University of Siena, Italy
2 Laboratory of Public Health, U.F. Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology AUSL n. 7 Siena, Italy
3 Department of Quantitative Methods University of Siena, Italy
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +39 0577 586755; fax: +39 0577 586159; e-mail: sartorelli{at}unisi.it
Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of asbestos fibre concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) by carrying out the mineralogical analysis of BALF at different times in the same patient and comparing the results.
Methods: Twenty two patients underwent diagnostic fibreoptic bronchoscopy twice: the first was to assess the past asbestos exposure and the second for different clinical reasons. Mineralogical analysis of BALF was carried out.
Results: In 16 patients (72.7%), a reduction of concentration in BALF of all asbestos fibres was observed. The concentrations of both chrysotile and amphiboles in the first bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were related to their concentrations in the second BAL and the observed differences were not statistically significant. A significant decrease in asbestos body concentration between the first and the second BAL was found (Wilcoxon test, P < 0.01).
Conclusions: The reliability of the fibre concentration in BALF as a marker of past asbestos exposure seems quite good. In most cases, it allows us to distinguish workers in different classes of exposure and gives useful information on the pattern of exposure. Uncertainties related in general to lung residues and in particular to mineralogical analysis of BALF (mainly due to the high coefficient of variation (CV) at low fibre concentrations and the results of the statistical analysis on total fibres) suggest that this biomarker is more likely suitable for a qualitative/categorical approach to exposure assessment than a quantitative one.
Keywords: asbestos • bronchoalveolar lavage • mineralogical analysis • transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
The originally published version of this paper in the Annals Occup. Hyg. (Vol.51 n. 5, pp. 495-500) was incorrect. The spelling of BRO-CHOALVEOLAR is wrong and should be BRONCHOALVEOLAR.
Received April 18, 2006; in final form February 7, 2007