Open AccessAnalysis of titanium pigments in human lung tissue
Author(s) -
E. M. Ophus,
L Rode,
B Gylseth,
D. Nicholson,
Khalid Saeed
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of work, environment and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.621
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1795-990X
pISSN - 0355-3140
DOI - 10.5271/sjweh.3104
Subject(s) - rutile , titanium dioxide , inert , titanium , transmission electron microscopy , lung , scanning electron microscope , autopsy , crystal (programming language) , materials science , chemistry , nuclear chemistry , radiochemistry , pathology , metallurgy , medicine , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , composite material , computer science , programming language
Methods are described for the unequivocal identification of mineral deposits in lung tissues obtained during the autopsy of a titanium dioxide-exposed worker who died of an undifferentiated malignant tumor. The methods included scanning and transmission electron microscopy, electron and X-ray diffractometry, and atomic absorption spectroscopy. The presence of considerable amounts of rutile was revealed. Despite this heavy loading, no lung tissue reaction was evident. Within the limits imposed by the period since the first exposure (6 years), this finding lends support to the supposition that the rutile crystal modification of titanium dioxide is biologically inert.