Chapter 12. Health Effects of Mineral Dusts Other Than Asbestos

Toxicological evaluation of clay minerals and derived nanocomposites: A review

“…Other researchers have indicated that excessive exposure to kaolinite dust may lead to the development of pneumoconiosis (Davis and Cotton, 1983;Kennedy et al, 1983;Levin et al, 1996;Ross et al, 1993;Sepulveda et al, 1983;Wagner et al, 1986). However, pulmonary fibrosis has been found in kaolinite workers in America, where the mica content is negligible (Lapenas and Gale, 1983;.…”

“…For example, bentonite deposits generally contain other minerals, including very fine-grained quartz and amorphous silica. In the case of Wyoming bentonites, the silica content (which includes both quartz and cristobalite) ranges from 0% to 24% (Ross et al, 1993). Sampatakakis et al (2013) performed the first epidemiological study in which a specific methodology is used to indicate the dust role of bentonite and perlite in the mortality and morbidity rates of permanent residents (Milos Island).…”

Geochemistry of aerosols of northwestern part of India adjoining the Thar desert

“…Recently, there is a great deal of interest in the study of dust and aerosols because of their importance in climate change problems (Broecker, 2000;Mikami, 2000), nutrient dynamics (Yaalon and Ganor, 1973;Drees et al, 1993;Buseck and Posfai, 1999), atmospheric pollution and environmental health (Young et al, 1988;Pinnick et al, 1993;Ross et al, 1993;Wilson and Spengler, 1996;Prospero, 1999;Allen et al, 2001) and in the process of desertification (Lundholm, 1979;Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 1995;Reynolds et al, 2001). Most studies have shown that our present understanding of dust and aerosols with respect to physico-chemical-biological properties, diverse sources and mechanisms of transport and deposition is very limited considering their application potential (Pye, 1987;Prospero, 1999).…”

Risk assessment due to environmental exposures to fibrous particulates associated with taconite ore

“…The new evidence has been obtained from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy examination revealing unique structural properties of asbestos, experimental animal studies showing much lower risk for non-asbestos amphibole fibers compared with amphibole asbestos and epidemiological studies showing little or no increase in asbestos-related diseases among workers occupationally exposed to non-asbestos amphibole fibers Nolan et al, 1991;Veblen and Wylie, 1993;Ross et al, 1993;Ross and Nolan, 2003;Ilgren, 2004;Gamble and Gibbs, 2008).…”

“…It is simple because there have been good epidemiological studies of the health of miners, workers, and nearby residents, that have been exposed to such particulates at historically higher concentrations than exist today (Ross et al, 1993;Brunner et al, 2008;Gamble and Gibbs, 2008). No statistically significant increase in cancer risk has been found due to fibrous particulates commonly associated with taconite ore.…”