ASBESTOS BODIES IN THE SPUTUM OF WORKERS EXPOSED TO ENVIRONMENTAL-POLLUTION

The diseases related to asbestos exposure (pulmonary fibrosis, broncog enic carcinoma and mesothelioma) are of widespread interest and involv e different socio-economic groups of subjects. Since these pathologies have a wide diffusion in the industrial world, we carried out an inve stigation on two populations occupationally exposed to air pollution a nd asbestos fibre inhalation (164 traffic policemen of the municipal d istrict of Rome and 218 railwaymen) and on a control group (119 reside nts in a rural district of Perugia) for the defection of asbestos bodi es in the sputum. The results obtained from traffic policemen and rail waymen workers differred significantly from those of the control group . The presence of asbestos bodies in traffic policemen seems to be det ermined by a strong synergetic effect between gaseous urban pollution, cigarette smoking habits and asbestos dust arising from car brakes an d building materials whereas in railwaymen it seems to be more directl y correlated to exposure.