Abstract
Anthophyllite asbestos only occurs in a few parts of the world in sufficient quantities to be mined. The largest deposits of anthophyllite asbestos occur in Finland where it was mined for more than 75 years and very extensively used and distributed, anciently, for more than six millennia. Anthophyllite is one of the five minerals known collectively as amphibole asbestos. Studies of the effect of these five mineral fibre types when inhaled have shown that fibre width is an important determinant of mesothelioma induction. Only the “thinner” fibres or those with fiber diameter dimensional profiles predominantly less than 0.25 – 0.30 µm, are clearly mesotheliogenic. The “thicker” ones or those whose predominant widths are greater than these diameters do not appear to show an observable attendant risk of mesothelioma. Observations based on studies of at least, two “thick” forms of amphibole asbestos support these hypotheses. The one is Bolivian crocidolite; the other Finnish anthophyllite. The Finnish anthophyllite industry presents an important opportunity to study the robustness of the theory that fibre width is key to mesothelioma genesis as vast numbers of people in all sectors of the Finnish industry and their families have historically incurred massive fiber exposures sufficient to cause a gross excess of asbestosis. Nonetheless, in spite of these long term, high dose exposures clear evidence for a mesothelioma risk due to anthophyllite asbestos is still lacking.
Highlights
Anthophyllite asbestos only occurs in a few parts of the world in sufficient quantities to be mined
Fibre width is regarded as an important factor in adjudging the toxicity of other materials which some classify as cleavage fragments and a variety of other ubiquitous materials known as elongated mineral particles (EMP)
The Finnish epidemiology must be considered in terms of the ancient use and distribution of anthophyllite in Finland and its ‘modern’ use, development and distribution
Summary
Anthophyllite asbestos only occurs in a few parts of the world in sufficient quantities to be mined. Either through its natural occurrence and – or commercial development at the mine, mill, production factory and distribution as raw fibre and – or its use in numerous anthophyllite asbestos containing products, many thousands of people have been exposed to levels of anthophyllite asbestos significantly above background in Finland, the United States and Japan and those countries to which they exported their anthophyllite asbestos. Despite these widespread occupational, para-occupational and environmental exposures, a proven attendant attributable mesothelioma response has not been proven. Besides the production plant operated in the immediate vicinity of the quarries, this firm owned a modern factory at Tapanila (near Helsinki) “for turning out asbestos products.” (Aureola & Vesalo, 1954)
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