LUNG RETENTION AND BIOAVAILABILITY OF ARSENIC AFTER SINGLE INTRATRACHEAL ADMINISTRATION OF SODIUM ARSENITE, SODIUM ARSENATE, FLY-ASH AND COPPER SMELTER DUST IN THE HAMSTER

Arsenic is present in airborne particulate material released by coal-f ired power plants and non-ferrous metal smelters. We have assessed whe ther the physico-chemical properties of arsenic in such particles play a role in its lung retention and uptake by the body. Female hamsters were given a single intratracheal instillation of fly ash or copper sm elter dust suspensions (at doses of 50 or 100 mu g As kg(-1)) or ident ical amounts of soluble tri- and pentavalent arsenic, in the presence or absence of an inert dust material (tungsten carbide). The concentra tion of the element was measured in a 24 hour urine sample collected o n the 1st, 2nd and 6th day after treatment and arsenic remaining in lu ng tissue was determined at the end of the same time periods. Both lun g retention and urinary As excretion indicate a prolonged contact of t he lung tissue with particulate As in contrast to soluble As salts. In addition to the effect of solubility described here, more research is needed to determine the effect of particle size and lung loading on r etention, as well as the potential differences in the lung inflammator y response using arsenic-rich particulates from various sources.