A Mössbauer-effect study of autopsied lung tissue of asbestos workers

A 57Fe Mössbauer-effect study of autopsied lung tissue from Canadian asbestos mine workers is presented. The spectra typically show large quantities of iron storage protein. This exhibits a quadrupole-split doublet at room temperature and both a doublet and a Zeeman-split sextet at 4.2 K, due to a distribution of particle sizes. A comparison is made with Mössbauer spectra of lung tissue from an individual not occupationally exposed to respirable asbestos, and with spectra of respirable chrysotile asbestos taken from Canadian mines.