Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Research Article

Subclinical interstitial lung damage in workers exposed to indium compounds: Sungyeul Choi, Yong-Lim Won, Dohyung Kim, Gwang-Yong Yi, Jai-Soung Park, Eun-A Kim; Ann Occup Environ Med 2013;25:24-24. Published online October 21, 2013; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2052-4374-25-24

Objectives

The present study was designed to determine whether there is a relationship between indium compound exposure and interstitial lung damage in workers employed at indium tin oxide manufacturing and reclaiming factories in Korea.

Methods

In 2012, we conducted a study for the prevention of indium induced lung damage in Korea and identified 78 workers who had serum indium or Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) levels that were higher than the reference values set in Japan (3 μg/L and 500 U/mL, respectively). Thirty-four of the 78 workers underwent chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and their data were used for statistical analysis.

Results

Geometric means (geometric standard deviations) for serum indium, KL-6, and surfactant protein D (SP-D) were 10.9 (6.65) μg/L, 859.0 (1.85) U/mL, and 179.27 (1.81) ng/mL, respectively. HRCT showed intralobular interstitial thickening in 9 workers. A dose–response trend was statistically significant for blood KL-6 levels. All workers who had indium levels ≥50 μg/L had KL-6 levels that exceeded the reference values. However, dose–response trends for blood SP-D levels, KL-6 levels, SP-D levels, and interstitial changes on the HRCT scans were not significantly different.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that interstitial lung changes could be present in workers with indium exposure. Further studies are required and health risk information regarding indium exposure should be communicated to workers and employers in industries where indium compounds are used to prevent indium induced lung damage in Korea.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Pulmonary effects of exposure to indium and its compounds: cross-sectional survey of exposed workers and experimental findings in rodents
Nan Liu, Yi Guan, Yan Yu, Gai Li, Ling Xue, Weikang Li, Xiaoyu Qu, Ning Li, Sanqiao Yao
Particle and Fibre Toxicology.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Toxicokinetics and systematic responses of differently sized indium tin oxide (ITO) particles in mice via oropharyngeal aspiration exposure
Jing Qu, Jianli Wang, Haopeng Zhang, Jingying Wu, Xinmo Ma, Shile Wang, Yiteng Zang, Yuhui Huang, Ying Ma, Yuna Cao, Daming Wu, Ting Zhang
Environmental Pollution.2021; 290: 117993. CrossRef
Assessment of Occupational Exposure to Indium Dust for Indium-Tin-Oxide Manufacturing Workers
Boo Wook Kim, Wonseok Cha, Sungwon Choi, Jungah Shin, Byung-Soon Choi, Miyeon Kim
Biomolecules.2021; 11(3): 419. CrossRef
Biomonitorization of concentrations of 28 elements in serum and urine among workers exposed to indium compounds
Nan Liu, Yi Guan, Bin Li, Sanqiao Yao, Yi Hu
PLOS ONE.2021; 16(2): e0246943. CrossRef
The early onset and persistent worsening pulmonary alveolar proteinosis in rats by indium oxide nanoparticles
Sung-Hyun Kim, Soyeon Jeon, Dong-Keun Lee, Seonghan Lee, Jiyoung Jeong, Jong Sung Kim, Wan-Seob Cho
Nanotoxicology.2020; 14(4): 468. CrossRef
Effects of indium exposure on respiratory symptoms: a retrospective cohort study in Japanese workers using health checkup data
Toshiharu Mitsuhashi
PeerJ.2020; 8: e8413. CrossRef
Application of the ICRP respiratory tract model to estimate pulmonary retention of industrially sampled indium-containing dusts
Aleksandr B. Stefaniak, M. Abbas Virji, Melissa A. Badding, Kristin J. Cummings
Inhalation Toxicology.2017; 29(4): 169. CrossRef
Respirable indium exposures, plasma indium, and respiratory health among indium‐tin oxide (ITO) workers
Kristin J. Cummings, M. Abbas Virji, Ji Young Park, Marcia L. Stanton, Nicole T. Edwards, Bruce C. Trapnell, Brenna Carey, Aleksandr B. Stefaniak, Kathleen Kreiss
American Journal of Industrial Medicine.2016; 59(7): 522. CrossRef
Indium oxide (In2O3) nanoparticles induce progressive lung injury distinct from lung injuries by copper oxide (CuO) and nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles
Jiyoung Jeong, Jeongeun Kim, Seung Hyeok Seok, Wan-Seob Cho
Archives of Toxicology.2016; 90(4): 817. CrossRef
Interstitial lung disorders in the indium workers of Korea: An update study for the relationship with biological exposure indices
Sungyeul Choi, Yong Lim Won, Dohyung Kim, Mi‐Young Lee, Yoon jung Choi, Jai‐Soung Park, Hyoung‐Ryoul Kim, Jung Im Jung, Sang‐Gil Lee, Eun‐A Kim
American Journal of Industrial Medicine.2015; 58(1): 61. CrossRef
Tissue distribution of indium after repeated intratracheal instillations of indium‐tin oxide into the lungs of hamsters
Akiyo Tanaka, Miyuki Hirata, Nagisa Matsumura, Yutaka Kiyohara
Journal of Occupational Health.2015; 57(2): 189. CrossRef
Beryllium and other metal-induced lung disease
Annyce Mayer, Nabeel Hamzeh
Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine.2015; 21(2): 178. CrossRef
Investigating the potential exposure risk to indium compounds of target manufacturing workers through an analysis of biological specimens
Yong Lim Won, Yoon Jung Choi, Sungyeul Choi, Eun-A Kim
Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.2014; 24(3): 263. CrossRef
Early Changes in Clinical, Functional, and Laboratory Biomarkers in Workers at Risk of Indium Lung Disease
Kristin J. Cummings, M. Abbas Virji, Bruce C. Trapnell, Brenna Carey, Terrance Healey, Kathleen Kreiss
Annals of the American Thoracic Society.2014; 11(9): 1395. CrossRef

246 View
0 Download
15 Web of Science
14 Crossref

Original Article

An Outbreak of Acute Beryllium Disease in a Compound Metal Alloy Factory: Hyunjoo Kim, Woo Chul Jeong, Young Koo Jee, Dae Seong Kim, Seong Kyu Kang, Sangchul Roh, Kyutag Cho, Donghyun Kim; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2008;20(1):1-8. Published online March 31, 2008; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2008.20.1.1

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
We conducted an epidemiological survey to inquire into an outbreak of acute pneumonitis after two reported cases of interstitial lung disease.
METHODS
The study subjects were 45 workers from a compound metal alloy factory. We reviewed the factory's industrial hygiene data along with the results of a special health examination, including pulmonary function tests, simple chest X-rays, and high resolution computed tomography.
RESULTS
The air concentrations of beryllium ranged from 0.42 microgram/m3 to 112.3 microgram/m3, and the mean concentration of urinary beryllium were 1.53+/-0.79 microgram/g of creatinine in the molding workers, 1.41+/- 0.50 microgram/g of creatinine in the casting workers, and 1.16+/-0.53 microgram/g of creatinine in the sorting workers. The rates for cough (p=0.054), dyspnea (p=0.030), and the use of medical services (p=0.018) were higher in the molding workers than in the non-molding workers. The incidence rate of acute interstitial lung disease was higher for the molding process (32.0%) than for the non-molding process (5.0%) (p=0.012). The time of employment for all patients was prior to December 1st, 2002.
CONCLUSIONS
Since most of the patients were molding workers, and all of the patients had worked without a ventilation system, this outbreak of acute interstitial lung disease was regarded as acute beryllium disease. Although the direct cause of the epidemic was the beryllium fumes, the fundamental cause was improper control of the work environment. Therefore, the means for preventing avoidable epidemics of occupational diseases are discussed.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Effects of Beryllium on Human Serum Immunoglobulin and Lymphocyte Subpopulation
Ki-Woong Kim, DaeSeong Kim, Yong Lim Won, Seong-Kyu Kang
Toxicological Research.2013; 29(2): 115. CrossRef

60 View
0 Download
1 Crossref

First
Prev
Page of 1
Next
Last

Search