[Identification of inhaled dust with a noninvasive magnetometry method]

The authors performed an examination of the degree of lung contamination by magnetic compounds present in gases originating during welding in 33 persons divided into four groups. The measurement was performed by a noninvasive magnetometric method using a high sensitive SQUID and second degree gradiometric antenna with presumed maximum sensitivity of 60 micrograms of magnetic compound/cm3. In the selected three groups of welders working for a long period of time under the conditions of exposure, the changes of the magnetic field were particularly evident in the group working in small confined spaces. It has become obvious that further improvement in the accuracy of the detected results in the lung may be reached in the subjects by changing the polarity of magnetization. (Fig. 4, Ref. 13.).