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Inorganic Particulates in Human Lung: Relationship to the Inflammatory Response
Published in William S. Lynn, Inflammatory Cells and Lung Disease, 2019
Victor L. Roggli, J. P. Mastin, John D. Shelburne, Michael Roe, Arnold R. Brody
The term asbestos encompasses a number of naturally occurring silicate mineral fibers in the serpentine and amphibole series.56 Chrysotile, the sole representative of the serpentine type of asbestos mineral, is a fibrous magnesium silicate consisting of a curled sheet which spirals around a central capillary. The fibers of chrysotile are typically curly or wavy (Figure 3A). The amphibole series has five recognized members: crocidolite (blue asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos), anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. The amphibole minerals occur as double chains of linked silica tetrahedra which are crosslinked with various bridging cations, the identity of which is useful in the chemical identification of the various types of amphibole. For example, amosite contains iron (Fe+ +) as well as smaller amounts of magnesium and manganese, whereas crocidolite contains iron (Fe+ +, Fe + + +) and sodium as well as smaller amounts of magnesium. The amphiboles are typically straight fibers (Figure 3B). Asbestos may be associated with various contaminants, including trace metals such as nickel, chromium, cobalt, and aluminum, and various hydrocarbons (either as natural contaminants or as a result of processing and storage).56
Metals
Published in Frank A. Barile, Barile’s Clinical Toxicology, 2019
Anirudh J. Chintalapati, Frank A. Barile
Asbestos is composed of a group of six different fibrous minerals (amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, and the fibrous varieties of tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite) that occur naturally in the environment. There are two different silicate mineral groups to which asbestos belongs. Chrysotile belongs to the serpentine family of minerals, while the rest belong to the amphibole family. Chrysotile accounts for over 90% of the world’s asbestos production. Of the five members of the amphibole group, crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite (brown asbestos) are widely used for commercial purposes. Amphibole fibers are more resistant to acids, and all asbestos fibers are resistant to alkalis.
Occupational respiratory diseases
Published in Louis-Philippe Boulet, Applied Respiratory Pathophysiology, 2017
Louis-Philippe Boulet, Marc Desmeules
We design by the name of “asbestosis” a group of complex hydrated silicates in a fibrous state. They include two main families: serpentine asbestosis and amphiboles [5]. Serpentine asbestosis—Chrysotile (white asbestosis): these long fibers are flexible, resistant to fire and have been used in the production of asbestosis textiles. This form of asbestosis was often found in mining industry in Quebec since 1878, where chrysotile constitutes more than 90% of industrial asbestosis.Amphiboles asbestosis: this group includes five varieties of rigid fibers that are easy to break but have an excellent resistance to acids. They include anthophyllite, amosite, crocidolite, actinolite, and tremolite.
Dimensional characteristics of the major types of amphibole mineral particles and the implications for carcinogenic risk assessment
Published in Inhalation Toxicology, 2022
Andrey A. Korchevskiy, Ann G. Wylie
Amphibole is a common mineral group making up major proportions of many rocks in places throughout the world. They also form many of the world’s deposits of asbestos including crocidolite (asbestiform riebeckite), amosite (asbestiform grunerite), and anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite asbestos. Amphiboles are constructed on a scaffolding formed by a double chain of Si–O (and Si–Al–O) tetrahedra joined by a variety of cations in nine possible positions in the structure resulting in over 100 different named compositions. All amphiboles are durable in the human body. Furthermore, amphiboles occur in a wide variety of habits (growth form), ranging from the finest asbestos fiber to massive rock-like material. As such, studies on amphiboles are ideal for investigating the variables of durable EMPS that influence toxicity. Because they form EMPs, and because they are so common, they provide a good target for identifying specific properties that affect their toxicity.
Response to Roggli et al. (2020) “Talc and mesothelioma: mineral fiber analysis of 65 cases with clinicopathological correlation”
Published in Ultrastructural Pathology, 2020
Triet Tran, David Egilman, Mark Rigler
Srebro et al. (1995) did not collect information on either industrial or cosmetic talc exposure for either cases or the single control that was used to establish a “background” talc lung burden.3 The use of this case is problematic. Case #24 was a male military veteran who died from Alzheimer’s disease whose job and personal history was unknown and unobtainable. Control case #24 had a combined tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite (TAA) level.2 Talc is the only commercial product that contains the combination of tremolite and/or anthophyllite and/or actinolite.4 Actinolite is not present in any commercial product apart from talc. J&J estimated that over 200 million babies and parents were exposed to its baby powder during diapering.5 Cosmetic talc body powder exposures can be quite high during normal use and have resulted in fatal cases of talcosis.6 Srebro et al. (1995) did not rule out this or any other potential cosmetic talc exposure.
Comments on “Dimensions of elongated mineral particles with implications for pathogenicity and classification as asbestiform versus cleavage fragments”
Published in Ultrastructural Pathology, 2019
Roggli and Green write ‘It has been our impression that this distinction (between fibers and cleavage fragments) has little effect on the identification of amosite or crocidolite as asbestos but might have a considerable effect on the identification of noncommercial amphiboles, including tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite.’ As described above, length differences between the commercial and noncommercial amphiboles are likely due, in large part, to the handling and milling after mining. Amosite and crocidolite were largely used in construction applications and were not heavily milled. Tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite in the United States mostly occurred as contaminants of Talc and Canadian asbestos. These minerals were usually heavily milled for many of their commercial applications.