One interesting study is called, “Asbestos bodies in normal lung of western Mediterranean populations with no occupational exposure to inorganic dust” by Monso E. ; Texido A. ; Lopez D. ; Aguilar X. ; Fiz J. ; Ruiz J. ; Rosell A. ; Vaquero M. ; Morera J. – Archives of Environmental Health 1995 Volume 50, pages 305-311. Here is an excerpt: “Abstract – The aim of this study was to determine the following : (a) asbestos body count in lung tissue of different western Mediterranean populations ; (b) the association, if any, of urban industrial residence with higher lung tissue asbestos body counts in this geographical area ; and (c) the risk factor that environmental asbestos exposure posed for lung cancer in our population. Lung-tissue samples were studied in three groups of subjects from the general population : (1) group A comprised 18 patients from Barcelona’s urban industrial area (mean age = 62.2 y, standard deviation [SD] = 13.6) ; (2) group B comprised 16 patients who lived in a rural area of Albacete in the south of Spain (mean age = 62.2 y, SD = 13.7) ; and (3) group C comprised 8 patients who had been diagnosed with lung cancer, who lived in or near Barcelona, and who had never been exposed occupationally to asbestos (mean age = 62.1 y, SD = 7.4).
A wet lung/dry lung weight ratio was determined. In group A, asbestos bodies were observed in 9 of 18 (50%) subjects, and asbestos bodies numbered 52.35 per g dry lung (SD = 101.72) (upper limit of normality [higher value] = 430.12 asbestos bodies per g dry lung). In group B, asbestos bodies were observed in 2 of 16 (12.5%) subjects, and asbestos bodies numbered 5.37 per g dry lung (SD = 8.79) (upper limit normality = 35.15 asbestos bodies per g dry lung). In group C, we observed asbestos bodies in 2 of 8 subjects (25.0%), and asbestos bodies numbered 20.59 per g dry weight (SD = 24.10). Comparison between groups A and B indicated small differences in the prevalence of asbestos bodies (i.e., Barcelona 50%, Albacete 12.5% ; p =.057 [chi-square test]), as well as small differences in asbestos body counts (i.e., asbestos bodies per g dry lung ; Mann-Whitney U-test, p .05). We concluded that, in western Mediterranean populations, normal lung asbestos body counts were higher in urban industrial inhabitants than in rural inhabitants ; however, in both populations, there was a low prevalence of asbestos bodies. Our results did not suggest that environmental exposure to asbestos played a role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer in subjects who had never been exposed occupationally to asbestos and who had lived in western Mediterranean areas.”
