“With this method, we see lungs typically have the most contrast of anything in the body, including bones, which is somewhat remarkable,” Chapman said. That contrast let his team see what blood work and whole-body plethysmography could not: fluid buildup in the small airways from the combined exposure. “This was really a pilot experiment, and I’m stunned that it worked as well as it did,” Chapman said, noting the low imaging dose makes repeated, longitudinal scans feasible for future occupational research, access permitting.
