BioBreath - Exhaled Breath for Biomonitoring of Quartz Dust Exposure and Lung Health

BioBreath - Exhaled Breath for Biomonitoring of Quartz Dust Exposure and Lung Health is a project founded by the KK-Foundation, and coordinated by the Inflammatory Response and Infection Susceptibility Center (iRiSC) at Örebro University. The project goal is to improve health and safety for workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust, which is one of the most common hazardous occupational exposures in Sweden, that can lead to chronic and non-curable lung diseases such as chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) and silicosis. The project collaborates with Swedish iron foundry companies where RCS exposures, health measures and exhaled breath samples from 60 RCS exposed workers and 40 non-exposed controls will be collected and analyzed.

The project focuses on:

• New methods for early detection of RCS-induced lung damage. The lung function test oscillometry will be used to determine if it is more sensitive than regular spirometry to detect early signs of RCS-induced lung disease.
•  New methods to measure RCS exposure. Today, RCS exposure is quantified by the concentration of RCS in the air. The project will explore if exhaled breath samples, using the PExA sampling method, can be used to detect how much RCS that has entered the lungs.
• Understanding the biological/toxicological mechanisms of RCS exposure. PExA exhaled air samples will be used for biomarker analysis, to better understand how RCS interacts with the cells of the small airways.