McIntyre Powder and Its Potential Contributions to Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Literature Review Through the McIntyre Powder Historical Lens

Overview

Journal Am J Ind Med

Specialty Occupational Medicine

Date 2022 Jul 21

PMID 35863903

Authors

Andrew Zarnke

Christine Oliver

Sandra Dorman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

McIntyre Powder (MP) is a fine aluminum powder that was developed to prevent silicosis in gold and uranium mine workers in Ontario, Canada, and was administered to miners there from 1943 to 1979. Mine workers were exposed to high concentrations (35.6 mg/m ) of MP for approximately 10 min before every work shift. Contemporary physical and chemical characterizations of this powder have revealed that 12% of the powder is in the ultrafine particle size-range (nanoparticles); and the remaining 88%, in the fine particulate size range (below 2.5 µm in diameter). The confluence of ultrafine particulate (UFP) composition and high airborne concentration of MP would be expected to overwhelm the defense mechanisms of the lung and increase the lung dust burden of the mine worker exposed to respirable dust in the mine. Published studies revealing associations between air pollution particulates and increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) shown a dose-response relationship with ambient PM and UFP and suggest that miners exposed to MP may also be at increased risk of CVD. The historical perspective of the use of MP in northern Ontario hard-rock mines and its potential implications for CVD in exposed mine workers are discussed.

Citing Articles

McIntyre Powder and its potential contributions to cardiovascular disease risk: A literature review through the McIntyre Powder historical lens.

Zarnke A, Oliver C, Dorman S Am J Ind Med. 2022; 65(10):813-821.

PMID: 35863903 PMC: 9541914. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23415.

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