Method for removing the ferruginous coating from asbestos bodies.

A new technique for removing the ferruginous coating from ferruginous bodies is described. The tissue from occupationally exposed individuals was digested in bleach and the material collected on a Nucleopore filter. The ferruginous bodies were localized by light microscopy and either cleaned on the marked filter or transferred to a marked area on a clean filter. The chemical treatment consisted of an 8% oxalic acid bath used at various temperatures. It was determined that at 75 degrees C the reaction resulted in removal of the ferruginous coat, leaving an exposed core for further analysis. This procedure overcomes the previous analytical problems of core analysis caused by the ferruginous coating.