Document 7Mm0xxYq0KBb4DJ3N6k6RpRj8

Mesothelioma among car mechanics? 637 hospital controls and two of the five population controls, stated that they had been engaged in brake repairs. Lung tissue analysis was available for two of the mesothelioma cases and for one of the hospital controls (RodelsphRGer et al., 1993, see Table 2). For mesothelioma Table 2. Lung tissue analysis of mesothelioma cases ano hospital controls. ENGAGED AS MOTOR VEHICLE MECHANICS. THE ANALYTICAL SENSITIVITY IS DEFINED AS CONCENTRATION PER FIBRE No. Status Lung dust fibre concentration L^S tm xlOJfg`'1 (dry) Analytical sensitivity Chrysotile Amphiboie Other minerals 1 Case 2 Case 3 Control 22 14 25 0 0 1.630 0 282 0 0 0 76 patient No. 1 no fibres longer than 5 /im were found. Since 1972 he had worked for 8 years as a car mechanic and was engaged in brake repair work during this time. There was no suggestion of any other asbestos exposure. For mesothelioma patient No. 2 characteristic amphiboie fibres longer than 5 fim were observed. He had worked as a car mechanic for only 1 year in 1940 and had been a Luftwaffe pilot from 1941 to 1945; he had no known asbestos exposure from other employment. Control patient No. 3 had numerous long chrysotile fibres but no amphiboie fibres. He had worked as car mechanic from 1934 to 1939. From 1945 to 1950 he was a prisoner of war in Russia where he had to arc-weld steel structures and to install glass fibre insulation. Subsequently he is assumed to have had no further occupational exposure to asbestos. CONCLUSIONS From these results there is no evidence that car mechanics are exposed to an increased risk of mesothelioma even if they do brake repairs, but asbestos exposure in other employment is an important confounding factor, so that if there is a mesothelioma risk for car mechanics but it were small it would not be detectable. The absence of fibres in the lung tissue analysis for one of the mesothelioma cases--despite his employment for 8 years as a car mechanic, repairing brakes--does not exclude the possibility that, decades before, chrysotile fibres were active at the target cells. On the other hand, it is doubtful that the amphiboie and chrysotile fibres, in the lung tissue of two other patients, can be related to their employment as car mechanics. [For the discussion of the issues raised in this and the other allied papers see pp. 407-425.] REFERENCES Rodelspercer, K.. Woitowitz. H.-J., BrOckel. B., Arhelger. R.. ROmer, W,, Pohlabeln.H. and JOckel, K.-H. {1993) Fall-Komroll-Studie an Mesothdiompatienicn zum Gehalf anorganischer Fasern im