Metal Concentrations in Lungs of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis Patients

탄광부 진폐증자의 폐조직내 금속농도

The metal concentrations in lungs from 12 coal workers' pneumoconiosis(CWP) patients and 6 controls, who were not exposed occupationally to coal mine dust and metals during their life time, were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. 1. Copper, lead, nickel, magnesium, manganese, zinc and iron concentrations in lungs of CWP patients were $1.10{\pm}0.088$, $1.12{\pm}0.068$, $0.22{\pm}0.020$, $113.7{\pm}1.31$, $0.19{\pm}0.012$, $10.2{\pm}1.54$, $426.7{\pm}2.63{\mu}g/g$ wet weight. 2. Copper, lead, nickel, magnesium, manganese, zinc and iron concentrations in lungs of controls were $1.10{\pm}0.013$, $0.85{\pm}0.007$, $0.10{\pm}0.008$, $87.6{\pm}1.29$, $0.18{\pm}0.005$, $10.6{\pm}1.44$, $164.9{\pm}3.29{\mu}g/g$ wet weight. 3. The ratios of concentrations for copper, lead, nickel, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and iron in lungs for CWP patients and controls were 1 : 1, 1.32 : 1, 2.20 : 1, 1.30 : 1, 1.06 : 1, 0.92 : 1, 2.58 : 1, respectively. There were significant differences in concentrations of lead, nickel, magnesium, iron by group(p<0.05). 4. There was no significant difference in metal concentrations of right upper lobe, right lower lobe, left upper lobe and left lower lobe for both CWP patients and controls (p>0.05, p>0.05). 5. In CWP patients lead was well correlated with nickel showing a rank correlation coefficient of 0.533, and zinc was correlated with copper showing a rank correlation coefficient of 0.476. 6. The concentrations of copper, nickel, maganese, and zinc in Korean CWP patients were lower than those in foreign CWP patients.