US EPA

3100465 

Journal Article 

A procedure for the isolation of amosite asbestos and ferruginous bodies from lung tissue and sputum 

Williams M G, , JR; Dodson, RF; Corn, C; Hurst, GA 

1982 

1 

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health
ISSN: 0098-4108 

HEEP/83/12530 

10 

4-5 

4-5 

HEEP COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. A comprehensive scheme was described for isolating amosite asbestos and ferruginous bodies from fixed and unfixed human lung tissue and sputum. This qualitative procedure avoided many problems associated with previous isolation techniques and illustrated the advantages of brief bleach digestions. The samples were digested in prefiltered Wright laundry bleach (9.2% NaClO), collected on 0.2 mum Nuclepore filters by vacuum filtration, rinsed with distilled water and absolute ethanol and examined visually for excessive residue. If organic residues were suspected or known to occur, the sample was treated sequentially with 2% KMnO4, 8% oxalic acid and 9.2% NaClO, and rinsed with distilled water and absolute ethanol. The ethanol, KMnO4, and oxalic acid steps could be repeated as often as needed until the desired sample volume had been filtered. The entire procedure allowed large volumes to be filtered and yielded filters that had clean backgrounds. Filtration was completed in as little as 15 min, as opposed to the hours or days recommended for other procedures. The technique was applicable to specimens fixed in Saccomanno's fixative or glutaraldehyde, and to those in an unfixed state. The procedure did not appear to damage the gross morphology of the amosite fibers, and it did not produce a detectable change in their elemental composition when determined by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis.