A Cattle Model of Environmental Exposure to Asbestos in the Lanzo and Susa Valleys: Fibre Accumulation Mechanism in Cow Lungs

Transcription

1 University of Torino Interdepartmental Center G.Scansetti A Cattle Model of Environmental Exposure to Asbestos in the Lanzo and Susa Valleys: Fibre Accumulation Mechanism in Cow Lungs E. FORNERO 1,4, D. BELLIS 2,4, M. TOMATIS 3,4, L. BRUNA 5, P. PIAZZANO 5, G. SCHELLINO 5, E. BELLUSO 1,4,6 & B. FUBINI 3,4 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Mineralogiche e Petrologiche, Università di Torino, Italy 2 Servizio di Anatomia, Istologia Patologica e Citodiagnostica, S. G. Bosco, ASL 4 Torino, Italy 3 Dipartimento di Chimica IFM, Università di Torino, Italy 4 Centro Interdipartimentale per lo Studio degli Amianti e di Altri Particolati Nocivi G.Scansetti, Università di Torino, Italy 5 Assessorato all Ambiente, Regione Piemonte, Italy 6 CNR Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse Torino European Conference on Asbestos Monitoring and Analytical Methods Venice, 5-7 December 25

2 Geological environment AIRBORNE FIBRES ASBESTOS FIBRES anthropogenic activities (i.e. excavations) OUTCROPS ROCKS natural events (i.e. erosion) SERPENTINITE OUTCROPS

3 SERPENTINITE OUTCROPS IN ITALY Geological environment Valle d Aosta Piemonte Lombardia Trentino Alto Adige Liguria Emilia Romagna Toscana Basilicata Calabria Structural Model of Italy (1: 1.., C.N.R., Roma 1973) modified by L. Fiora, A. Borghi, L. Alciati & V. Zusi

4 MAP OF FIBROUS MINERALS IN SERPENTINITE OUTCROPS IN WESTERN ALPS Geological environment LEGEND chrysotile polygonal serpentine antigorite forsterite balangeroite tremolite actinolite sepiolite diopside brugnatellite carlosturanite brucite

5 THE FIBROUS MINERALS IN OUTCROPS CAN BE AIRBORNE AND RESPIRATED IF SMALL ENOUGH IS THERE ANY CORRELATION BETWEEN GEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT AND MINERALOGICAL LUNG BURDEN????

6 MINERALOGICAL BURDEN IN THE LUNGS LUNG TISSUES FROM HUMANS PROFESSIONAL / PARA OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT????? LUNG TISSUES FROM ANIMALS NO PROFESSIONAL EXPOSURE

7 PREPARATION of BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES Chemical digestion in sodium hypoclorite (NaClO) Filtration of suspension on membrane USED INSTRUMENTS Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS)

8 electron secondary SEM image of tremolite 2 M 2 µm ASPECT RATIO 3:1 EDS spectrum of tremolite

9 Mineralogical burden INVESTIGATED CATTLE LUNG SAMPLES SUSA VALLEY LANZO VALLEYS 2 samples 19 samples Average age: 9 years (3-16) Average age: 6 years (2-15) Sex: 2 male, 18 female Sex: 19 female

10 SUSA VALLEY samples age (years) Bardonecchia (VS65) 2 Susa (VS14) 2 SEM-EDS asbestos (ff/gdw) tremolite actinolite amosite crocidolite chysotile s.s SEM-EDS chrysotileantigorite (ff/gdw) 5.19 SEM-EDS not asbestos (ff/gdw) Results Chiomonte (VS 4) 3 Venaus (VS21) 3 Chiomonte (VS36) 3 Bardonecchia (VS66) 4 Novalesa (VS11) 4 Oulx (VS39) 5 Salbertrand (VS45) 5 Oulx (VS34) 5 Bruzolo (VS8) 6 Cesana (VS67) 7 Oulx (VS62) 7 Oulx (VS58) 8 Venaus (VS72) 9 Exilles (VS64) 1 Mompantero (VS15) 11 Susa (VS1) 11 Bussoleno (VS22) 12 Venaus (VS2) Average TOTAL fibres : ff/g dw ( ff/gdw) ff/g dw : n of fibres per 1 g of dry weight

11 LANZO VALLEYS Samples age (years) Corio (VL19) 3 Ceres (VL9) 3 Balangero (VL2) 4 Corio (VL13) 5 Ceres (VL14) 7 Coassolo (VL3) 7 Corio (VL4) 7 Cafasse (VL12) 8 Ala di Stura (VL5) 9 Monastero (VL15) 9 Balangero (VL17) 9 Balangero (VL18) 1 Coassolo (VL6) 11 Balangero (VL16) 12 Corio (VL21) 12 S.Gillio (VL1) 12 Groscavallo (VL11) 13 Corio (VL2) 15 Ala di Stura (VL7) 16 SEM-EDS asbestos (ff/gdw) tremolite actinolite amosite chrysotile s.s SEM-EDS chrysotileantigorite (ff/gdw) SEM-EDS not asbestos (ff/gdw) Results Average TOTAL fibres : ff/g dw ( ff/gdw) ff/gdw: n of fibres per 1 g of dry weight

12 Discussion COMPARISON BETWEEN VALLEYS fibres concentration (ff/gdw) total asbestos chrysotileantigorite inorganic fibrous species not asbestos SUSA VALLEY LANZO VALLEYS

13 Discussion FOR BOTH VALLEYS MORE FREQUENT AND ABUNDANT FIBROUS MINERAL SPECIES TREMOLITE ACTINOLITE-CHRYSOTILE/ANTIGORITE FROM NATURAL SOURCES

14 MAP OF FIBROUS MINERALS IN SERPENTINITE OUTCROPS IN SUSA AND LANZO VALLEYS LANZO VALLEYS chrysotile polygonal serpentine antigorite SUSA VALLEY tremolite actinolite

15 Total fibres versus age Discussion 8. ff/g dw

16 More frequent and abundant mineral fibres (tremolite actinolite chrysotile/antigorite) Discussion 4. ff/g dw

17 CONCLUSIONS ANIMAL SAMPLES GOOD METHOD GOOD CORRELATION GEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT MINERALOGICAL BURDEN

18 Conclusion TREND MINERALOGICAL BURDEN AGE A) TOTAL FIBRES OVER THAN 8. ff/gdw B) MORE FREQUENT AND ABUNDANT MINERAL FIBRES OVER THAN 4. ff/gdw

19 AKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research has been financially supported by Regione Piemonte - Assessorato Ambiente CNR Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse Torino is gratefully acknowledged