| his study addressed the question of silica exposure, silicosis, and lung cancer in respect of lung particle burden. Sixty seven paraffin-embedded lung tissue samples of silicotic gold miners (39 non-lung cancer (NLC-SI) and 28 lung cancer (LC-SI)), were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy for angular particles and fibres/cleavage fragments. Crystalline silica was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction on silver membrane filter.;Results indicated that both silicotic groups had non-significantly different concentrations and sizes of all particle types except quartz. Indeed, the NLC-SI group had a higher concentration of quartz than the LC-SI (3.77... |
