Professional exposure to basaltic rock dust: assessment by the Vibrio fischeri ecotoxicological test.

Background: A recent study demonstrates that inhalation of airborne particulate from Mount Etna eruptions may induce fibrotic lung disease. The occupational exposure of construction workers from the Etna area, who excavate building sites and use basalt dust to make mortar, has never been assessed.

Methods: Samples of basalt, volcanic ash, basalt + cement and cement dust were collected on the construction site of a subway tunnel, ground to dust and subjected to the Microtox(®) solid-phase test to evaluate the toxicity of dust suspensions.