Electron Microprobe Analysis in Metal-Induced Lung Disease

A variety of pulmonary reactions have been associated with the inhalation of metallic dusts. 1, 2 Some of these result in familiar pneumoconioses, whereas others simply result in intrapulmonary pigment deposition. Some of the metallic materials that can cause disease as well as the typical reaction to deposits of these particulates are listed in Table 1. Electron microprobe analysis can be useful in the identification of these particulates and, in some cases, may clarify the nature of pulmonary disease. The most useful instrumentation for the identification of these particulates consists of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with a back-scattered electron (BSE) detector and an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDXA). 3 By means of this methodology, individual particulates may be identified and analyzed for their elemental content. The application of SEM/BSE/EDXA to the diagnosis of metal-induced lung disease is the subject of this presentation.