Allwood dusts induced cytotoxicity in human bronchial epithelial
cells in a dose-dependent manner at 2 and 6 h the decrease
being statistically significant when compared to the control level.
The cytotoxicity of birch dust was somewhat less pronounced at 2 h
as compared to the other two species (Fig. 2). The maximal decrease
(14% with pine dust, 11% with birch dust and 16% with oak dust) in
cell viability was reached with the highest wood dust concentration
(500?g/ml) at 2 h with pine dust and at 6 h with birch and
oak dust. At 12 h, cells were recovered and the number of viable
cells was close to that detected in the control cultures (data not
shown).