Inorganic Content of Cotton Dusts, Trash, and Bracts

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Abstract
The exact etiological agents responsible for the biological effects of cotton dust are unidentified, but most investigators believe they are organic in nature. Inorganic compounds have not been considered as significant factors. However, cotton dusts, trash, and bracts have high inorganic contents (7–43% ash), as reported here; more importantly, aqueous extracts of the trash and bracts have inorganic contents as high as 65%, which means a significant amount (10–36%) of the inorganic compounds in trash or bract is water extractable. Elements present in the ash include: N2, Cl2, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, S, and O2. KCl and K2SO4 have been definitively identified. It is suggested that greater attention should be given to the inorganic nature of cotton dust in the etiology of byssinosis.

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