ABSTRACT Hafnium and its compounds assume ever greater importance in modern high-tech industries. There are very few and outdated data on their toxicity. This work examines the effect of hafnium tetrafluoride on airway reactions and hematological and some biochemical blood parameters in white rats under conditions of acute inhalation experiment. The substance was administered once intratracheally at the doses corresponding to concentrations of 2.0 mg/m3 and 1.0 mg/m3, and the test parameters were monitored on Day 2 and Day 7. Intratracheal administration of hafnium tetrafluoride did not cause visible deterioration in the general condition of the animals or animal death. Exposure to hafnium tetrafluoride caused a significant decrease in erythrocyte count in the absence of other hematological parameter shifts and an increase in AST activity 24 hours after animal intoxication. Peroxidation parameters of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) did not change. BALF cytological composition did not differ significantly in the control and experimental groups, although hemosiderin granules in macrophages were observed, as well as degenerated cells of cylindrical epithelium on Day 2 after exposure. The obtained results showed a damaging effect of hafnium tetrafluoride at concentrations of 2.0 mg/m3 and 1.0 mg/m3 on lungs, which were self-cleaned under the influence of adaptive mechanisms within 7 days after exposure. There is a need for an in-depth study of the biological effects of hafnium compounds and search for safe levels of their exposure in industrial use.
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