J Occup Health 2001; 43: 75–79
Journal of
Occupational Health
The Effects of Carbon Fibre and Carbon Fibre Composite Dusts
on Bronchoalveolar Lavage Component of Rats
Zhongyi ZHANG, Xiuling WANG, Leiguang LIN, Shudong XING, Yonghui WU,
Yao LI, Lijie WU and Baoqi GANG
Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, China
Abstract: The Effects of Carbon Fibre and Carbon
Fibre Composite Dusts on Bronchoalveolar Lavage
Component of Rats: Zhongyi ZHANG, et al.
Department of Occupational Health, School of
Public Health, Harbin Medical University, People’s
Republic of China—Carbon fibre (CF) and carbon fibre
composite (CFC) as new materials have increasing
industrial application. The People’s Republic of China
now manufactures CF and CFC. This paper predicted
their potential toxicity to human using bronchoalveolar
lavage technique on the basis of comparisons with
positive reference materials (quartz and chrysotile) and
negative reference materials (titanium dioxide and
alumina (SAFFIL) fibre). All rats dosed with dust showed
some increase in lung weight relative to the saline
control, though the only significant differences were seen
between the rats dosed with quartz or chrysotile and
those dosed with saline. From the morphological
observation of lavage cells, a benign reaction of
macrophages to CF and CFC was observed, whereas
a series of changes in macrophages was involved in
rats dosed with quartz and chrysotile. CF and CFC did
not induce a significant increase in the total cell count or
percentages of neutrophils and lymphocytes in
bronchoalveolar lavage. The two materials tested had
much lower toxicity than that of quartz and chrysotile,
and were comparable with the effect induced by titanium
dioxide and SAFFIL fibre which had minimal toxicity. The
present work provides a scientific basis for the setting
of occupational health standards for carbon fibre and
carbon fibre composite dust in the workplace.
(J Occup Health 2001; 43: 75–79)
Key words: Carbon fibre dust, Ca