HSE publishes particulate toxicity research report

HSE publishes particulate toxicity research report

Keywords: Health and safety, Toxicity, Particles

The health and safety executive (HSE) has published a commissioned study,which examined the pro-inflammatory effects of particles at concentrations that are not high enough to produce gross toxicity.

The new study is important because high airborne mass concentrations of low toxicity poorly soluble particles (LTPSP) have, in experimental animal systems,been associated with lung diseases such as fibrosis and lung cancer.

The study “In vitro determinants of particulate toxicity: the dose-metric for poorly soluble dusts”, by the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) investigates whether surface area of the LTPSP is a better indicator per mass of their ability to stimulate pro-inflammatory responses.

Using a culture of human lung cells, IOM measured some biochemical markers of pro- inflammatory effects and oxidative stress after treatment with a range of dusts.

In all the tests, ultra fine preparations of titanium di-oxide and carbon black produced much stronger inflammatory responses than the same mass dose of fine titanium dioxide and carbon black.

IOM observed finer particles, with greater specific surface area, had greater biological effects in relation to given dust types.

The study recommends testing a wider range of dusts with the in vitrosystem, and also suggests that further investigations are needed into the surface reactivity of the particles to determine if there is a difference in the reactive oxygen species or reactive nitrogen species that are being produced by DQ12 quartz and LTPSP.

Copies of “In vitro determinants of particulate toxicity: the dose-metric for poorly soluble dusts”, Research Report 154, ISBN 0-7176-2747-0, price £15.00, are available from HSE Books, PO Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA. Tel: 01787- 881165; Fax: 01787-313995; Web site: www.hsebooks.co.uk. HSE's Research Reports are available on the HSE Web site: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr154.htm

For further details contact: call HSE's InfoLine, Tel: 08701 545500, or write to: HSE Information Services, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.