Evaluation of trace elements in human lung tissue. II. Recovery and analysis of inhaled particulates

Inhaled particulate material, deposited in the lungs of eight Belgian individuals, is differentiated from the tissue with a digestion procedure using the enzyme ficin. This method is simple and efficient and yields a small amount of insoluble dust. The total element concentration of the tissue samples was determined by neutron activation analysis. The radioactive residues obtained after the digestion of the tissue were counted and are considered to represent the insoluble dust fraction. A major part of the Co, Cr, Sb and Sc was recovered in the residues, but only small fractions of the Cs, Rb and Zn. These findings confirm the assumption that Co, Cr, Sb and Sc are enriched in the lungs as a result of the accumulation of atmospheric contaminants. Further proof can be derived from the analogy between the elemental composition of the residue and that of atmospheric particulate matter collected in Belgium.