Korean J Prev Med.  2000 Dec;33(4):477-483.

Asbestos and Non-Asbestos Fiber Content in Lungs of Autopsied Subjects in Pohang with no Known History of Occupational Asbestos Exposure

• Lim HS
• Kim JY
• Kim DH
• Sakai K
• Hisanaga N

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
To obtain reference values for the pulmonary asbestos and non-asbestos fiber contents of residents in Korea and to compare them with similar results from Japan.
METHODS
The autopsied lung specimens from 22 deceased people (20 males and 2 females) in Pohang, without any known occupational history of asbestos exposure, were analyzed for incidence of asbestos and non-asbestos fibers by transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis after using low temperature ashing procedures.
RESULTS
Chrysotile fiber (46.2%) was the major fiber type found in the lungs of the subjects. The asbestos fiber concentrations found in males and females were 0.09x106 fibers/(g of dry lungs) and 0.30x106 fibers/(g of dry lungs), respectively, showing a geometric mean concentration 0.09x106 fibers/(g of dry lung tissue), due to the predominance of males in the sample. The non-asbestos fiber contents in males and females were 4.61x106 fibers/(g of dry lungs) and 17.79x106 fibers/(g of dry lungs), respectively, with a geometric mean concentration 5.21x106 fibers/(g of dry lung tissue).
CONCLUSIONS
Residents in Pohang had significantly lower levels of both asbestos and non-asbestos fibers than urban residents in Korea. Furthermore, Koreans had significantly lower levels of both asbestos and non-asbestos fibers than Japanese.

Keyword

Asbestos; Non-asbestos fiber; Reference value; Lung; Korean

MeSH Terms

Asbestos*
Asbestos, Serpentine
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Female
Gyeongsangbuk-do*
Humans
Incidence
Japan
Korea
Lung*
Male
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Reference Values
Asbestos
Asbestos, Serpentine