Abstract
In nature, a huge number of unregulated minerals fibers share the same characteristics as asbestos and therefore have potential adverse health effects. However, in addition to asbestos minerals, only fluoro-edenite and erionite are currently classified as toxic/pathogenic agents by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Mordenite is one of the most abundant zeolites in nature and commonly occurs with a fibrous crystalline habit. The goal of this paper is to highlight how fibrous mordenite shares several common features with the well-known carcinogenic fibrous erionite. In particular, this study has shown that the morphology, biodurability, and surface characteristics of mordenite fibers are similar to those of erionite and asbestos. These properties make fibrous mordenite potentially toxic and exposure to its fibers can be associated with deadly diseases such as those associated with regulated mineral fibers. Since the presence of fibrous mordenite concerns widespread geological formations, this mineral fiber should be considered dangerous for health and the precautionary approach should be applied when this material is handled. Future in vitro and in vivo tests are necessary to provide further experimental confirmation of the outcome of this work.
Highlights
Occupational or environmental exposure to mineral dusts is one of the main causes in the development of pneumoconiosis and lung cancer [1]
The results of this study showed that both the erioniteand mordenite-treated mice developed fibrosis, but the effect was more pronounced in the case of erionite
scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that mordenite fibers have flat surface, roughly prismatic morphology and a low flexibility
Summary
Occupational or environmental exposure to mineral dusts is one of the main causes in the development of pneumoconiosis and lung cancer [1]. The most notorious toxic/carcinogenic agent is asbestos [1,2]. It is generally recognized that asbestos is a toxic and carcinogenic agent associated with the induction of mesothelioma, lung tumours and other lung diseases [2,4]. Chrysotile and amphibole asbestos have been classified by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) [2]. A general concern is growing regarding other mineral fibers that are not classified (or not regulated) as asbestos, but assumed to show the same potential toxicity [4]. In addition to the six asbestos minerals, the following EMPs have raised global concern: non-regulated fibrous amphibole (e.g., winchite [6,7], richterite [6,7], fluoro-edenite [8], fibrous glaucophane [9]), fibrous antigorite [10], balangeroite [11] and fibrous zeolites (e.g., erionite [12], offretite [13] and ferrierite [14])
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