Chrysotile Research Articles

Prevalencia de patologías relacionadas con el asbesto crisotilo en trabajadores de una empresa de productos de crisotilo-cemento

Introducción: en Manizales opera una fábrica de productos de fibrocemento que emplea, desde el inicio de sus operaciones, fibras de asbesto crisotilo bajo condiciones de higiene industrial controladas.Objetivo: estudiar la prevalencia de las patologías relacionadas con la exposición a las fibras de crisotilo en el aire en la totalidad de la población activa al 31 de diciembre de 2012, la historia de exposición acumulada a fibras, la antigüedad en la empresa y la historia de tabaquismo.Materiales y métodos: estudio de corte transversal en el que se compararon los resultados de las radiografías de tórax acorde con la clasificación Internacional de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo de radiografías de Neumoconiosis con las características etarias, de antigüedad en la empresa, de consumo de tabaco y de exposición acumulada.Resultados: en todos los trabajadores se determinó ausencia de patología pulmonar o pleural relacionada con la exposición a material particulado.Se encontró una población con edad promedio de 41 años, antigüedad promedio de 12 años, exposición acumulada a fibras promedio de 1,33 fibras/cc/años, y bajo consumo activo de tabaco.Al comparar los resultados de este estudio con otros similares disponibles en la literatura, se encontró que lo descrito por otros se replica en esta empresa.Conclusión: no puede descartarse la posibilidad de mantener trabajadores libres de las consecuencias nocivas para su salud por la exposición a las fibras de crisotilo auque se apliquen las medidas de higiene industrial recomendadas.

The crystal structure of mineral fibres: 1. Chrysotile

This work reports the result s of the structural study of three representative chrysotile samples of different provenance (Canadian UICC, and Italian Balangero and Valmalenco) . Chemical composition was determined using EMPA and TG data. An innovative wet cryo-milling procedure was used to powder the resistant-to-abrasion chrysotile fibres. X-ray powder diffraction patterns were collected using both conventional and non-conventional sources. Collected data were used for Rietveld structural refinements and results were compared with available literature data. The three samples display similar structure models, although small differences were detected in the position of the oxygen atoms. Both the structural refinements and spectroscopic investigations confirms that Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ atoms in chrysotile are located in the octahedral cavities only, substituting for Mg 2+ . Regarding the atom coordinates, UICC chrysotile is the more similar to the model reported by Falini et al. (2004). About the lattice parameters, the Valmalenco chrysotile is the more similar, if compared with the Balangero and UICC, to both the model proposed by Whittaker (1956a,b) and Falini et al. (2004) . This work is intended as a basis for subsequent studies aimed at understanding the potential toxicity of these mineral fibres.

Tatarinovite Са3Al(SO4)[В(ОH)4](ОH)6 · 12H2O, a new ettringite-group mineral from the Bazhenovskoe deposit, Middle Urals, Russia, and its crystal structure

A new mineral, tatarinovite, ideally Са3Аl(SO4)[В(ОН)4](ОН)6 · 12Н2O, has been found in cavities of rhodingites at the Bazhenovskoe chrysotile asbestos deposit, Middle Urals, Russia. It occurs (1) colorless, with vitreous luster, bipyramidal crystals up to 1 mm across in cavities within massive diopside, in association with xonotlite, clinochlore, pectolite and calcite, and (2) as white granular aggregates up to 5 mm in size on grossular with pectolite, diopside, calcite, and xonotlite. The Mohs hardness is 3; perfect cleavage on (100) is observed. D meas = 1.79(1), D calc = 1.777 g/cm3. Tatarinovite is optically uniaxial (+), ω = 1.475(2), e = 1.496(2). The IR spectrum contains characteristic bands of SO4 2−, CO3 2−, B(OH)4 −, B(OH)3, Al(OH)6 3-, Si(OH)6 2-, OH–, and H2O. The chemical composition of tatarinovite (wt %; ICP-AES; H2O was determined by the Alimarin method; CO2 was determined by selective sorption on askarite) is as follows: 27.40 CaO, 4.06 B2O3, 6.34 A12O3, 0.03 Fe2O3, 2.43 SiO2, 8.48 SO3, 4.2 CO2, 46.1 H2O, total is 99.04. The empirical formula (calculated on the basis of 3Ca apfu) is H31.41Ca3.00(Al0.76Si0.25)Σ1.01 · (B0.72S0.65C0.59)Σ1.96O24.55. Tatarinovite is hexagonal, space gr. P63, a = 11.1110(4) A, c = 10.6294(6) A, V = 1136.44(9) A3, Z = 2. Its crystal chemical formula is Са3(Аl0.70Si0.30) · {[SO4]0.34[В(ОН)4]0.33[СO3]0.24}{[SO4]0.30[В(ОН)4]0.34[СО3]0.30[В(ОН)3]0.06}(ОН5·73О0.27) · 12Н2O. The strongest reflections of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, A (I, %) (hkl)] are 9.63 (100) (100), 5.556 (30) (110), 4.654 (14) (102), 3.841 (21) (112), 3.441 (12) (211), 2.746 (10) (302), 2.538 (12) (213). Tatarinovite was named in memory of the Russian geologist and petrologist Pavel Mikhailovich Tatarinov (1895–1976), a well-known specialist in chrysotile asbestos deposits. Type specimens have been deposited at the Fersman Mineralogical Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.

The Eccentric Engineer - Engineering: Cinema I'm dreaming of a white asbestos, cornflake, foam, sugar, soap, wax and paper Christmas.

Through the years, Hollywood directors sought to find the perfect solution to creating snow, without having to venture into freezing temperatures.

Effect of restricted geometry on the superconducting properties of low-melting metals (Review Article)

This is a review of results from studies of the effect of artificially restricted geometry (the size effect) on the superconducting properties of nanoparticles of low-melting metals (Hg, Pb, Sn, In). Restricted geometrical conditions are created by embedding molten metals under high pressure into nanoporous matrices of two types: channel structures based on chrysotile asbestos and porous alkali-borosilicate glasses. Chrysotile asbestos is a system of parallel nanotubes with channel diameters ranging from 2 to 20 nm and an aspect ratio (channel length to diameter) of up to 107. The glasses are a random dendritic three-dimensional system of interconnected channels with a technologically controllable mean diameter of 2–30 nm. Temperature dependences of the resistance and heat capacity in the region of the superconducting transition and the dependences of the critical temperature on the mean pore diameter are obtained. The critical magnetic fields are also determined.

Hygienic assessment of asbestos containing dust in the air of the working zone at thermal power plants.

Asbestos and artificial mineral fibers were used actively at thermal power plants (TPP) as heat insulation of pipes, seal plates, electrical insulation, etc. But content of asbestos fibers in the air of working zone at TPP was not registered to date. Therefore, aim of the work was to assess asbestos containing dust in the air of working zone at steam turbine and gas turbine TPP in the east region of the country. It was found that old insulation at TPP is mixture of asbestoses that contains chrysotile asbestos and traces of amphibole asbestoses – crocidolite and anthophyllite. In the majority of investigated workplaces at the steam turbine TPP significant dust generation with exceed of maximum one-time exposure limits (2 mg/m 3 ) was observed. Concentration of respirable fibers in the air of working zone in all workplaces did not exceed actual hygienic standard (1 fiber/cm 3 ).

Collegium Ramazzini: Comments on the 2014 Helsinki consensus report on asbestos.

Collegium Ramazzini: Comments on the 2014 Helsinki consensus report on asbestos.

Asbestos: Socio-legal and Scientific Controversies and Unsound Science in the Context of the Worldwide Asbestos Tragedy - Lessons to be Learned.

Eight to fifteen per cent of lung cancer cases and nearly all mesothelioma cases are caused by asbestos. Problems in compensation issues ensue from strict legal requirements for eligibility and regulations of the statutory accident insurance institution pertaining to eligibility for occupational disease benefits. The latter include the unscientific requirement for set numbers of asbestos bodies or fibers to be found in lung tissue in order to "prove" disease causation if lung specimen are available. Although the validity of such evidence has been discredited by independent scientists, it is still used as evidence by an influential US pathology department. Frequently, epidemiological evidence regarding causal relationships and exposure histories is also often being ignored by insurance-affiliated medical experts.Similar misleading arguments are currently being used in newly industrialized countries where white asbestos - which is carcinogenic and fibrogenic like other asbestos types - is efficiently promoted as being less harmful. As a result, asbestos use is increasing in some of these countries. Behind the worldwide asbestos tragedy, a well-designed strategy orchestrated by certain transnational or multinational industrial interest groups can be perceived.Beyond the asbestos tragedy their covert plan is motivated by economic interests and discounts the ensuing damage to health and the impact of the diseases they create on public health systems.

The proliferative effects of asbestos-exposed peripheral blood mononuclear cells on mesothelial cells.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is thought to arise from the direct effect of asbestos on mesothelial cells. However, MM takes a long time to develop following exposure to asbestos, which suggests that the effects of asbestos are complex. The present study examined the effects of asbestos exposure on the cell growth of MeT-5A human mesothelial cells via cytokines produced by immune cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were stimulated with antibodies against cluster of differentiation (CD)3 and CD28 upon exposure to the asbestos chrysotile A (CA) or crocidolite (CR); the growth of MeT-5A cells in media supplemented with PBMC culture supernatants was subsequently examined. MeT-5A cells exhibited an increase in proliferation when grown in supernatant from the 7-day PBMC culture exposed to CA or CR. Analysis of cytokine production demonstrated increased levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-3, IL-5, IL-13 and IL-17A in supernatants. Individual administration of these cytokines, excluding G-CSF and GM-CSF, led to an increase in cell growth of MeT-5A, whereas this effect was not observed following the combined administration of these cytokines. The results indicate that cytokines secreted by immune cells upon exposure to asbestos cause an increase in the growth activity of mesothelial cells, suggesting that alterations in the production of cytokines by immune cells may contribute to tumorigenesis in individuals exposed to asbestos.

홍성과 가평 사문암 내에서 섬유상으로 산출되는 사문석군 광물의 종류 및 특성

사문석군 광물과 관련된 국내 선행 연구에 따르면 일반적으로 크리소타일(chrysotile)이 섬유상으로 산출되는 것으로 알려져 있다. 하지만 국외에서 섬유상 안티고라이트(antigorite)의 산출이 보고되었으며 이로 인한 인체의 유해성에 대한 연구가 현재 진행되고 있다. 따라서, 이 연구에서는 국내 홍성과 가평지역의 사문암 내에서 섬유상으로 산출되는 사문석군 광물의 종류와 광물학적 및 화학적 특성을 XRD, SEM-EDS, PLM, EPMA 분석을 통해 확인하고, 이를 통해 사문석군 광물의 산출양상 및 형성과정을 규명하고자 하였다. 연구지역인 홍성은 각섬석 편암이 부분적으로 사문암화 또는 활석화 되어 있으며, 가평은 석회질 편암이 사문석화 작용을 받아 석회암 및 각섬암 내 사문암대를 형성하고 있다. 연구 결과, 홍성에서는 크리소타일과 안티고라이트가 섬유상으로, 가평에서는 크리소타일이 섬유상으로 산출되는 것으로 확인되었다. 분산염색법을 이용한 편광현미경 분석 결과, 크리소타일은 섬유 길이방향(<TEX>$n{\parallel}$</TEX>)에서 자주색(magenta), 섬유 지름방향(<TEX>$n{\perp}$</TEX>)에서 파란색(blue)의 분산염색색상을 보였고, 안티고라이트는 섬유 길이방향(<TEX>$n{\parallel}$</TEX>)에서 진한 노란색-자주색(gold to golden magenta), 섬유 지름방향(<TEX>$n{\perp}$</TEX>)에서 blue magenta의 분산염색색상을 나타냈다. 또한 박편관찰 및 SEM 분석을 통해 판상의 사문석 또는 암석 내 1차 광물이 열수변질작용을 받아 섬유상의 광물을 형성한 것으로 판단된다. EPMA mapping 분석 결과, Mg 성분은 크리소타일이 안티고라이트보다 상대적으로 높았으며 Si와 O 성분은 안티고라이트가 크리소타일보다 높은 것으로 확인되었다. 하지만 두 광물의 화학성분 차이를 정확히 알기 위해서는 많은 시료의 통계적인 분석 값이 필요할 것으로 생각된다. 이러한 결과를 통해 섬유상의 안티고라이트(antigorite)는 X-선 회절 패턴과 형태적 특성이 크리소타일(chrysotile)과 비슷하여 혼동될 수 있으나, 서로 다른 분산염색색상을 나타내므로 분산염색법을 이용한 편광현미경 분석을 통해 두 광물의 구별이 가능한 것으로 확인되었다. Chrysotile is well known as a fibrous mineral in serpentinite by the previous studies in S. Korea. Previous studies in other countries showed that antigorite also occurred as asbestiform and harmful to humans. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate types and characteristics of fibrous serpentine minerals occurred in serpentinite in Hongseong, Chungnam and Gapyeong, Gyeonggi in S. Korea. XRD, SEM-EDS, PLM and EPMA mapping analyses were used to examine the occurrence and formation mechanism of serpentine minerals. Serpentinization partially occurred in amphibole-schist and calc-schist at two study sites, Hongseong, Chungnam and Gapyeong, Gyeonggi, respectively. Both chrysotile and antigorite occurred as a fibrous mineral at Hongseong site, but chrysotile occurred as a fibrous mineral at Gapyeong site. Based on PLM analysis with dispersion staining, the chrysotile was observed horizontally magenta and vertically blue colors. The antigorite appeared as horizontally gold to golden magenta and vertically blue magenta colors under central stop dispersion staining objective(DSO). PLM and SEM analyses showed the fibrous minerals were formed from plate form of serpentine minerals or by hydrothermal alternation of primary minerals. The EPMA mapping showed that Mg contents in chrysotile is relatively higher than that in antigorite while Si and O contents in antigorite is higher than them in chrysotile. However, more studies are necessary to know the exact variation in chemical composition of chrysotile and antigorite. These results indicate that even though asbestiform antigorite found associated with asbestos chrysotile in serpentinites, the fibrous antigorite can be distinguished from chrysotile by different dispersion staining colors.

Scientific journal publishes second eratum regarding false information by scientists funded by asbestos interests.

In a paper published on Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health, Ilgren et al. claimed that cases of mesothelioma among workers of the Balangero (a municipality of the province of Turin, Northern Italy) chrysotile mine and nearby residents were not caused by chrysotile, but by other forms of asbestos. In support, they cited a reference where no pertaining evidence can be found. One year after the paper, an erratum was published by the journal editors in chief, warning that an erroneous citation was present. The erratum is weak and misleading, concealing the fact that a false statement was supported by such error and that it may serve the interests of the chrysotile industry, by dismissing evidence of chrysotile carcinogenicity. Some of the article authors, of the editors in chief and members of the journal editorial board had financial ties to asbestos interests.

Evaluation of Genotoxic Effects of Asbestos on Occupationally Exposed Workers in Brazil

Abstract Genotoxic effects of occupational workers exposed to asbestos can be evaluated using different biomarkers as oxidative stress enzymes in conjuction with comet assay. This study assessed changes to oxidative stress enzymatic parameters and genotoxic damage in workers occupationally exposed and non-exposed to chrysotile asbestos, who attended the outpatient Clinic of the Center for Worker Health Studies and Human Ecology (CESTEH/ENSP/FIOCRUZ) in Brazil. Chest radiography and spirometry were performed to assess clinical progression of symptoms. The traditional visual score comet assay in peripheral whole blood cells was used to assess DNA damage, and oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities. Respiratory alterations were observed in 53% of workers exposed, as determined by pulmonary function and bronchodilation, and 6 workers were diagnosed with asbestosis. The comet assay was statistically significantly higher in the exposed group and individuals with asbestosis compared to the non-exposed group and individuals without asbestosis, respectively. Linear regression analysis showed that 28,4% and 50,5% of comet assay results were increased by exposure to asbestos and developed asbestosis. The results of CAT and GST were not difference between the groups. These results supports the association of genotoxic damage and the onset of asbestosis by chrysotile asbestos exposure in workers of this study.

Short fiber tremolite free chrysotile mesothelioma cohort revealed.

In 1995, Dell and Teta published a cohort mortality study of asbestos molding compound workers at a Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) plastics manufacturing plant in Bound Brook, New Jersey. They reported that the factory workers were exposed to "asbestos (mostly chrysotile)," implying that the asbestos used at the Bound Brook plant occasionally contained amphiboles. However, UCC statements and testimony from recent litigation indicate that the Bound Brook plant exclusively used short fiber chrysotile asbestos. These recent documents also point to lower exposures than those reported by Dell and Teta. This chrysotile-only cohort should be included in analyses of chrysotile potency.

Asbestos contamination in feldspar extraction sites: a failure of prevention? Commentary.

Fibrous tremolite is a mineral species belonging to the amphibole group. It is present almost everywhere in the world as a natural contaminant of other minerals, like talc and vermiculite. It can be also found as a natural contaminant of the chrysotile form of asbestos. Tremolite asbestos exposures result in respiratory health consequences similar to the other forms of asbestos exposure, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Although abundantly distributed on the earth's surface, tremolite is only rarely present in significant deposits and it has had little commercial use. Significant presence of amphibole asbestos fibers, characterized as tremolite, was identified in mineral powders coming from the milling of feldspar rocks extracted from a Sardinian mining site (Italy). This evidence raises several problems, in particular the prevention of carcinogenic risks for the workers. Feldspar is widespread all over the world and every year it is produced in large quantities and it is used for several productive processes in many manufacturing industries (over 21 million tons of feldspar mined and marketed every year). Until now the presence of tremolite asbestos in feldspar has not been described, nor has the possibility of such a health hazard for workers involved in mining, milling and handling of rocks from feldspar ores been appreciated. Therefore the need for a wider dissemination of knowledge of these problems among professionals, in particular mineralogists and industrial hygienists, must be emphasized. In fact both disciplines are necessary to plan appropriate environmental controls and adequate protections in order to achieve safe working conditions.

Effects of Chrysotile Exposure in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells: Insights into the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Asbestos-Related Diseases.

Background:Chrysotile asbestos accounts for > 90% of the asbestos used worldwide, and exposure is associated with asbestosis (asbestos-related fibrosis) and other malignancies; however, the molecular mechanisms involved are not fully understood. A common pathogenic mechanism for these malignancies is represented by epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), through which epithelial cells undergo a morphological transformation to assume a mesenchymal phenotype. In the present work, we propose that chrysotile asbestos induces EMT through a mechanism involving a signaling pathway mediated by tranforming growth factor beta (TGF-β).Objectives:We investigated the role of chrysotile asbestos in inducing EMT in order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in this event.Methods:Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were incubated with 1 μg/cm2 chrysotile asbestos for ≤ 72 hr, and several markers of EMT were investigated. Experiments with specific inhibitors for TGF-β, glycogen synthase kinase–3β (GSK-3β), and Akt were performed to confirm their involvement in asbestos-induced EMT. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blotting, and gelatin zymography were performed to detect mRNA and protein level changes for these markers.Results:Chrysotile asbestos activated a TGF-β–mediated signaling pathway, implicating the contributions of Akt, GSK-3β, and SNAIL-1. The activation of this pathway in BEAS-2B cells was associated with a decrease in epithelial markers (E-cadherin and β-catenin) and an increase in mesenchymal markers (α-smooth muscle actin, vimentin, metalloproteinases, and fibronectin).Conclusions:Our findings suggest that chrysotile asbestos induces EMT, a common event in asbestos-related diseases, at least in part by eliciting the TGF-β–mediated Akt/GSK-3β/SNAIL-1 pathway.Citation:Gulino GR, Polimeni M, Prato M, Gazzano E, Kopecka J, Colombatto S, Ghigo D, Aldieri E. 2016. Effects of chrysotile exposure in human bronchial epithelial cells: insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of asbestos-related diseases. Environ Health Perspect 124:776–784; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409627

Measured removal rates of chrysotile asbestos fibers from air and comparison with theoretical estimates based on gravitational settling and dilution ventilation

Context: Industrial hygiene assessments often focus on activity-based airborne asbestos concentration measurements, but few empirical data exist regarding the fiber removal rate from air after activities cease.Objective: Grade 7T chrysotile indoor fiber settling (FS) rates were characterized using air sampling (NIOSH Method 7402).Materials and methods: Six replicate events were conducted in a 58 m3 study chamber (ventilation 3.5 ACH), in which chrysotile-contaminated work clothing was manipulated for 15 min followed by 30 min of no activity. The fiber concentration decay constant and removal rate were characterized using an exponential decay model based on the measurements.Results: Breathing zone airborne chrysotile concentrations decreased by 86% within 15–30 min after fiber disturbance, compared to concentrations during active disturbance (p < 0.05). Estimated mean time required for 99% of the phase contrast microscopy-equivalent (PCME) fibers to be removed from air was approximately 30 min (95% CI: 22–57 min). The observed effective FS velocity was 0.0034 m/s. This settling velocity was between 4.5-fold and 180-fold faster than predicted by two different particulate gravitational settling models. Additionally, PCME concentrations decreased approximately 2.5-fold faster than predicted due to air exchange alone (32 versus 79 min to 99% decrease in concentration).Discussion: Other measurement studies have reported similar airborne fiber removal rates, supporting the finding that factors other than gravitational settling and dilution ventilation contribute measurably to PCM fiber removal from air (e.g. impaction, agglomeration).Conclusion: Overall, the scientific weight of evidence indicates that the time necessary for removal of 99% of fibers greater than 5 μm in length (with aspect ratios greater than 3:1) is approximately 20–80 min.

Chrysotile asbestos detoxification with a combined treatment of oxalic acid and silicates producing amorphous silica and biomaterial

This study was primarily imposed by the ever increasing need for detoxification of asbestos and asbestos containing materials (ACM), with potential application onsite. The present work investigates potential detoxification of pure chrysotile (Chr) asbestos via a combined treatment of oxalic acid dihydrate (Oxac) (Η2C2Ο4·2Η2Ο) with silicates, such as tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) (SiH20C8O4) and pure water glass (WG) (potassium silicate) (K2SiO3). These reagents used in the experimental procedure, do not cause adverse effects on the environment and are cost effective. The results of FTIR, XRD, optical and scanning microscopy coupled with EDS analyses indicated that all of the applied treatments destructed the Chr structure and yielded silica of amorphous phase and the biomaterial glushinskite from the Oxac reacted with brucite [Mg(OH)2] layer. Each of the proposed formulations can be applied for the detoxification of asbestos, according to priorities related to the specific products of the recovery treatment. Therefore, Oxac acid leaching followed by the TEOS addition is preferred in cases of glushinskite recovery; TEOS treatment of asbestos with subsequent Oxac addition produced amorphous silica production; finally Oxac acid leaching followed by WG encapsulated the asbestos fibers and can be used in cases of onsite asbestos and ACM detoxification.

In Situ Liquid Cell Observations of Asbestos Fiber Diffusion in Water.

We present real-time observations of the diffusion of individual asbestos fibers in water. We first scaled up a technique for fluorescent tagging and imaging of chrysotile asbestos fibers and prepared samples with a distribution of fiber lengths ranging from 1 to 20 μm. Experiments were then conducted by placing a 20, 100, or 150 ppm solution of these fibers in a liquid cell mounted on a spinning-disk confocal microscope. Using automated elliptical-particle detection methods, we determined the translation and rotation and two-dimensional (2D) trajectories of thousands of diffusing chrysotile fibers. We find that fiber diffusion is size-dependent and in reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions for the Brownian motion of rods. This agreement is remarkable given that experiments involved non-idealized particles at environmentally relevant concentrations in a confined cell, in which particle-particle and particle-wall interactions might be expected to cause deviations from theory. Experiments also confirmed that highly elongated chrysotile fibers exhibit anisotropic diffusion at short time scales, a predicted effect that may have consequences for aggregate formation and transport of asbestos in confined spaces. The examined fibers vary greatly in their lengths and were prepared from natural chrysotile. Our findings thus indicate that the diffusion rates of a wide range of natural colloidal particles can be predicted from theory, so long as the particle aspect ratio is properly taken into account. This is an important first step for understanding aggregate formation and transport of non-spherical contaminant particles, in the environment and in vivo.

Predicting the mortality from asbestos-related diseases based on the amount of asbestos used and the effects of slate buildings in Korea

Asbestos has been used since ancient times, owing to its heat-resistant, rot-proof, and insulating qualities, and its usage rapidly increased after the industrial revolution. In Korea, all slates were previously manufactured in a mixture of about 90% cement and 10% chrysotile (white asbestos). This study used a Generalized Poisson regression (GPR) model after creating databases of the mortality from asbestos-related diseases and of the amount of asbestos used in Korea as a means to predict the future mortality of asbestos-related diseases and mesothelioma in Korea. Moreover, to predict the future mortality according to the effects of slate buildings, a comparative analysis based on the result of the GPR model was conducted after creating databases of the amount of asbestos used in Korea and of the amount of asbestos used in making slates. We predicted the mortality from asbestos-related diseases by year, from 2014 to 2036, according to the amount of asbestos used. As a result, it was predicted that a total of 1942 people (maximum, 3476) will die by 2036. Moreover, based on the comparative analysis according to the influence index, it was predicted that a maximum of 555 people will die from asbestos-related diseases by 2031 as a result of the effects of asbestos-containing slate buildings, and the mortality was predicted to peak in 2021, with 53 cases. Although mesothelioma and pulmonary asbestosis were considered as asbestos-related diseases, these are not the only two diseases caused by asbestos. However the results of this study are highly important and relevant, as, for the first time in Korea, the future mortality from asbestos-related diseases was predicted. These findings are expected to contribute greatly to the Korean government's policies related to the compensation for asbestos victims.

Asbestos: Social Legal and Scientific Controversies and Unsound Science in the Context with the Worldwide Asbestos Tragedy - Lessions to be Learned

8 to 15% of lung cancer cases and nearly all mesothelioma cases are caused by asbestos. Problems in compensation issues refer to high legal as well as insurance barriers in attesting the occupational diseases. Claiming of certain numbers of asbestos bodies or fibers in lung tissue is of special relevance in substantiating legal medical cases. Such evidence, which is disproved by a sound science, is also used by an influential US pathology department. Frequently, also epidemiological evidence with its causal relationships and exposure histories are ignored. Similar misleading arguments are currently found in industrializing countries where white asbestos which is carcinogenic and fibrogenic like other asbestos types, is efficiently promoted as less harm. As a result, the asbestos consumption is increasing in some of these countries. Beyond the worldwide asbestos tragedy a well-designed strategy of certain transnational or global acting industrial interest groups can be recognized. Their plan, hidden from the public eyes, follows rigorously sole economic interests, while leaving the resulting health harm to the public health systems.