[Crystalline and amorphous forms of SiO2 in the lungs of patients with silicosis]

Lung samples of dead patients with silicosis (9 persons) and those without silicosis were compared. The obtained results showed that there was no significant difference in the content of crystalline and amorphous forms of SiO2 in the control group and the dust-exposed group. Because of elevated content of SiO2 amorphous form total SiO2 concentrations were higher in the lungs of patients with silicosis than in the control group, but the content of the crystalline form didn't differ significantly. The samples were analyzed on the basis of the technique used with slight modifications for the determination of SiO2 crystalline form in industrial dust. Before the analysis was carried out the conditions for primary sample treatment were standardized. It was also shown that the mass of ashed lungs constituted 0.8 +/- 0.2% of the damp mass and 2.4 +/- 0.7% of the dry one.