The Retention and Clearance of Glass Fibre and Different Varieties of Asbestos by the Lung

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Abstract
Four groups of 12 baboons were exposed for periods of 3-4 years to known concentrations of amosite, crocidolite, chrysotile and glass fibres. The concentrations of fibres in their lungs (millions of fibres per g dry tissue) was determined when they died either during or after exposure. Significant differences between the rate of build-up and elimination of glass fibres and the different types of asbestos were found. Amphibole fibre built up in the lungs far more rapidly than glass fibre or chrysotile. Conversely glass fibres cleared more rapidly than amosite or crocidolite. The clearance half-lives of the different fibres were: glass fibre—6.4 months; amosite—18 months; crocidolite—50 months. Chrysotile could not be determined because of high mortality in the exposure chamber. In case of the crocidolite, it was possible to compare the rate of clearance from the lungs of the baboon with that from deceased crocidolite miners. The figures were very close, the half-lives being 50 months (see above) for the baboons and 72 months for the miners.

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