Intrapulmonary asbestos concentrations in shipyard workers exposed to asbestos in El Ferrol, Spain

Introduction: Asbestos has been used in almost all industrial sectors so the collection of work history data can be difficult. For this reason, quantitative analysis of asbestos bodies (AB) in lung tissue seems more sensitive indicator of exposure than standard questionnaires about exposure to asbestos. Material and methods: Quantitative analysis was carried out on 31 lung samples of shipyard workers from El Ferrol, Spain with a history of occupational exposure to asbestos, obtained at autopsy, in order to ascertain the concentration of AB (expressed in AB/g of dry tissue) in the lungs. This analysis was carried out in accordance with the guidelines for the analysis of mineral fibres in biological samples set by De Vuyst et al, ERS Working Group. Observation period: 1/1/2008 to October 2010. Results: 12 had pulmonary adenocarcinoma, 5 epidermoid carcinoma, 1 poorly differentiated carcinoma, 4 asbestosis, 5 mesothelioma, 2 pleural plaques and 2 did not have pathologies related to asbestos exposure. All but one of the patients had a concentration of over 1000 AB/g in dry tissue. The average AB/g was 5947 (range:249-4660059). The work history of 29 patients was collected; 27 had worked in naval shipyards. Average age at death: 67.5. A detailed work history was not collected for 8 patients. Average period of exposure: 24.21 years. 26 patients (83.8%) had been smokers with an average consumption of 26 cigarettes/day. Conclusions: The quantification of AB in pulmonary tissue is a very useful tool to evaluate the history of exposure to asbestos. The shipyard workers from el Ferrol had a very high concentration of AB in the lung that are the cause of the pathology.