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Part Fibre Toxicol

Title:		Compositional and structural analysis of engineered stones and inorganic particles in silicotic nodules of exposed workers
Author(s):		Leon-Jimenez A; Manuel JM; Garcia-Rojo M; Pintado-Herrera MG; Lopez-Lopez JA; Hidalgo-Molina A; Garcia R; Muriel-Cueto P; Maira-Gonzalez N; Del Castillo-Otero D; Morales FM;
Address:		"Pulmonology, Allergy and Thoracic Surgery Department, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, Cadiz, Spain. antonio.leon.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es. Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Cadiz, Spain. antonio.leon.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es. IMEYMAT: University Institute of Research in Electron Microscopy and Materials of the University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain. Department of Condensed Matter Physics, School of Sciences, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain. Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Cadiz, Spain. Department of Anatomic Pathology, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, Cadiz, Spain. INMAR: University Research Institute of Marine Research, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain. Department of Physical Chemistry, CASEM, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain. Department of Analytical Chemistry, CASEM, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain. Pulmonology, Allergy and Thoracic Surgery Department, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, Cadiz, Spain. Department of Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering and Inorganic Chemistry, School of Sciences, University of Cadiz, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain. Department of Anatomic Pathology, Puerto Real University Hospital, Cadiz, Spain. Department of Pulmonology, Puerto Real University Hospital, Cadiz, Spain"
Journal Title:		Part Fibre Toxicol
Year:		2021
Volume:		20211122
Issue:		1
Page Number:		41 -
DOI:		10.1186/s12989-021-00434-x
ISSN/ISBN:		1743-8977 (Electronic) 1743-8977 (Linking)
Abstract:		"BACKGROUND: Engineered stone silicosis is an emerging disease in many countries worldwide produced by the inhalation of respirable dust of engineered stone. This silicosis has a high incidence among young workers, with a short latency period and greater aggressiveness than silicosis caused by natural materials. Although the silica content is very high and this is the key factor, it has been postulated that other constituents in engineered stones can influence the aggressiveness of the disease. Different samples of engineered stone countertops (fabricated by workers during the years prior to their diagnoses), as well as seven lung samples from exposed patients, were analyzed by multiple techniques. RESULTS: The different countertops were composed of SiO(2) in percentages between 87.9 and 99.6%, with variable relationships of quartz and cristobalite depending on the sample. The most abundant metals were Al, Na, Fe, Ca and Ti. The most frequent volatile organic compounds were styrene, toluene and m-xylene, and among the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenanthrene and naphthalene were detected in all samples. Patients were all males, between 26 and 46 years-old (average age: 36) at the moment of the diagnosis. They were exposed to the engineered stone an average time of 14 years. At diagnosis, only one patient had progressive massive fibrosis. After a follow-up period of 8 +/- 3 years, four patients presented progressive massive fibrosis. Samples obtained from lung biopsies most frequently showed well or ill-defined nodules, composed of histiocytic cells and fibroblasts without central hyalinization. All tissue samples showed high proportion of Si and Al at the center of the nodules, becoming sparser at the periphery. Al to Si content ratios turned out to be higher than 1 in two of the studied cases. Correlation between Si and Al was very high (r = 0.93). CONCLUSION: Some of the volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals detected in the studied countertop samples have been described as causative of lung inflammation and respiratory disease. Among inorganic constituents, aluminum has been a relevant component within the silicotic nodule, reaching atomic concentrations even higher than silicon in some cases. Such concentrations, both for silicon and aluminum showed a decreasing tendency from the center of the nodule towards its frontier"
Keywords:		Adult Dust Humans Male Middle Aged *Occupational Exposure/adverse effects/analysis Quartz Silicon Dioxide *Silicosis Aluminum Artificial stone Engineered stone Quartz agglomerate Silica Silicosis Volatile organic compounds;
Notes:		"MedlineLeon-Jimenez, Antonio Manuel, Jose M Garcia-Rojo, Marcial Pintado-Herrera, Marina G Lopez-Lopez, Jose Antonio Hidalgo-Molina, Antonio Garcia, Rafael Muriel-Cueto, Pedro Maira-Gonzalez, Nieves Del Castillo-Otero, Daniel Morales, Francisco M eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2021/11/24 Part Fibre Toxicol. 2021 Nov 22; 18(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s12989-021-00434-x"