The contents of phospholipids in the lung surfactant in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) of rats inhaled terephthalic acid (TPA) dust were analysed with high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The average geometric concentrations of TPA dust in experimental groups were 8.93, 274.45 and 618.12 mg/m3 respectively. The results showed that phosphatidylcholine(PC), phosphatidyl glycerol(PG), and phosphatidylinositol(PI) of the rats exposed to TPA at the middle and high concentrations were decreased as compared with those in the control (P < 0.001). It was suggested that the functions of producing and secreting pulmonary surfactant in type II epithelial cells were damaged after inhalating TPA dust.