Short-term exposure to stone minerals used in asphalt affect lung function and promote pulmonary inflammation among healthy adults.
Scand J Work Environ Health
; 48(5): 410-418, 2022 07 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35312016
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Stone minerals are a partially ignored environmental challenge but a significant contributor to urban air pollution. We examined if short-term exposure to two stone minerals - quartz diorite and rhomb porphyry - commonly used in asphalt pavement would affect lung function, promote pulmonary inflammation, and affect bronchial reactivity differently.METHODS:
Our randomized crossover study included 24 healthy, non-smoking young adults exposed to the stone minerals quartz diorite, rhomb porphyry, and control dust (lactose). Exposure occurred in an exposure chamber, in three separate 4-hour exposure sessions. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and lung function were monitored before exposure, then immediately following exposure, and 4 and 24 hours after exposure. In addition, methacholine was administered 4 hours following exposure, and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) was collected before exposure, then immediately and 4 hours after exposure. EBC was analyzed for pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, P-Selectin, surfactant protein D (SP-D), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).RESULTS:
Our results showed significantly elevated concentrations of FeNO after exposure to quartz diorite compared to rhomb porphyry, suggesting that quartz diorite is more likely to trigger pulmonary inflammation after short-term exposure. Moreover, short-term exposure to rhomb porphyry was associated with a modest but statistically significant decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) compared to quartz diorite.CONCLUSION:
These results emphasize that using stone material in asphalt road construction should be reconsidered as it may affect lung inflammation and lung function in exposed subjects.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia
/
Quartz
Type of study:
Clinical_trials
Limits:
Adult
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Scand J Work Environ Health
Year:
2022
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Norway