Yttrium and lanthanides in human lung fluids, probing the exposure to atmospheric fallout

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 186; no. 2-3; pp. 1103 - 1110
• Main Authors: Censi, P., Tamburo, E., Speziale, S., Zuddas, P., Randazzo, L.A., Punturo, R., Cuttitta, A., Aricò, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 28.02.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Algorithms; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Atmospherics; breathing; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Bronchoalveolar lavages; Chemical engineering; Chromatography, Gas; crystallization; Crystallization, leaching, miscellaneous separations; Dendriform pulmonary ossification; Dust; Earth Sciences; Environmental Exposure; Exact sciences and technology; Fallout; fibrosis; Fluid dynamics; Fluid flow; Fluids; Humans; Inhalation Exposure; Italy; Lanthanides; Lanthanoid Series Elements - analysis; Lung - chemistry; Lungs; Mass Spectrometry; Medical geochemistry; Models, Chemical; patients; people; Pollution; rare earth elements; Sciences of the Universe; Thermodynamics; Volcanic ash; Volcanic Eruptions; Yttrium; Yttrium - analysis; Yttrium Radioisotopes - analysis; Italy; Volcanic ash; Yttrium; Dendriform pulmonary ossification; Lanthanides; Bronchoalveolar lavages; Medical geochemistry; Human; Phosphates; Lanthanide; Atmospheric fallout; Pollutant behavior; Crystallization; Geochemistry; Inhalation; Transport process; Dust; Depletion; Bronchoalveolarlavages; Yttrium volcanic ash; Ash; Aerosols; Air pollution; CHEMICAL-REACTIONS; DISSOLUTION RATES; ELEMENTS; PARTICLES; VOLCANIC ASH; ACTIVATED COMPLEX; DENDRIFORM PULMONARY OSSIFICATION; RARE-EARTH PNEUMOCONIOSIS; SEAWATER; WATERS
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.11.113

Inhalation of airborne particles can produce crystallization of phosphatic microcrysts in intraaveolar areas of lungs, sometimes degenerating into pulmonary fibrosis. Results of this study indicate that these pathologies are induced by interactions between lung fluids and inhaled atmospheric dust in people exposed to volcanic dust ejected from Mount Etna in 2001. Here, the lung solid–liquid interaction is evaluated by the distribution of yttrium and lanthanides (YLn) in fluid bronchoalveolar lavages on selected individuals according the classical geochemical approaches. We found that shale-normalised patterns of yttrium and lanthanides have a ‘V shaped’ feature corresponding to the depletion of elements from Nd to Tb when compared to the variable enrichments of heavy lanthanides, Y, La and Ce. These features and concurrent thermodynamic simulations suggest that phosphate precipitation can occur in lungs due to interactions between volcanic particles and fluids. We propose that patterns of yttrium and lanthanides can represent a viable explanation of some pathology observed in patients after prolonged exposure to atmospheric fallout and are suitable to become a diagnostic parameter of chemical environmental stresses.