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Magnetopneumography as a tool for the study of dust retention in the lungs.

1982; National Institutes of Health; Volume: 26; Issue: 1-4 Linguagem: Inglês

A. Freedman, Stephen E. Robinson, Francis H. Y. Green,

Radiation Dose and Imaging

Magnetopneumography is a sensitive non-invasive technique for measuring the concentration and distribution of the magnetizable ferrimagnetic fraction of occupationally acquired lung dust. It was used to measure pulmonary retention of ferrimagnetic dust in several different occupational groups. Data from a study of deep bituminous miners indicated ferrimagnetic dust accumulation in 17 of 71 miners at a level greater than 22 of 23 control subjects. Magnetopneumographic measurement of 26 steel arc welders revealed marked pulmonary retention of welding fume in all workers at concentrations far above that seen in 26 control subjects (p < 0.001). Ferrimagnetic dust content in welders correlated with years of welding and radiographic abnormality (p < 0.01), but not with smoking history. Accumulation of ferrimagnetic dust above normal was also noted in seven machinists (p<0.01), but was not found in a group of 16 insulators with remote exposure to asbestos. All subjects with elevated levels of ferrimagnetic dust manifested a pattern of hilar concentration. Magnetic mapping of freeze-dried autopsied lungs from nine coal miners and four non-miners confirmed the pattern of lymphatic accumulation of ferrimagnetic dust. The capabilities and uses of magnetopneumography will be discussed.