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Investigation of asbestos concentration in ambient and lavage fluids of patients referred for bronchoscopy, Ahvaz

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Abstract

Introduction

The amount of fibers in the lungs is considered to reflect the cumulative intensity of past asbestos exposure, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) has been proposed to be a good indicator of the presence and quantity of asbestos particles in the lungs. This study evaluated the asbestos concentration in BAL fluids of asbestos-exposed and unexposed pulmonary patients and the environment of Ahvaz city.

Methods

This prospective study was conducted on 80 patients underwent diagnostic fiberoptic bronchoscopy referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2019. Patients with Lung diseases were divided into three groups based on CT scan results: normal (n = 32), lung cancer (n = 40) and Interstitial lung disease (n = 8). The analysis of asbestos fiber concentration in BAL fluid was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).

Results

The positive asbestos test was detected in 69% of all subjects, including 64% of whom had asbestos-related jobs and 74.5% of those with non-related jobs (p = 0.240). The concentrations of asbestos fiber in the BAL in normal patients, lung cancer and interstitial fibrosis (ILD) were 8.13 ± 5.38, 9.66 ± 7.30 and 6.31 ± 1.98 f/ml, respectively (P = 0.492). There was no significant difference between the asbestos levels and exposure history (P = 0.877). The mean concentration of asbestos in the ambient air during the current year was 2.69 ± 0.57 f/ml (2.26–3.70), and the correlation between asbestos levels in BAL and the air was not significant (r = 0.147; P = 0.243).

Conclusions

The exposure of different occupational and non-occupational groups to this carcinogenic substance indicates the need for environmental and individual control measures to reduce and prevent asbestos exposure.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is issued from the thesis of Negar SabzeAli Resident of internal medicine. This work was financially supported by Grant APRD-9805 from vice chancellor for Research Affairs of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Negar SabzeAli, Maryam Haddadzadeh Shoushtari, Seyed Hamid Borsi & Hanieh Raji

  2. Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur university of medical sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Nematollah Jaafarzadeh

  3. Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Monireh Khadem

  4. department of environmental health engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur university of medical science, Ahvaz, Iran

    Amir Zahedi

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  1. Negar SabzeAli
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  2. Nematollah Jaafarzadeh
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Correspondence to Hanieh Raji.

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SabzeAli, N., Jaafarzadeh, N., Shoushtari, M.H. et al. Investigation of asbestos concentration in ambient and lavage fluids of patients referred for bronchoscopy, Ahvaz. J Environ Health Sci Engineer 20, 641–646 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-022-00797-z

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