Instant Insight: Asbestos Comes Naturally

Details

• Personal Author:
  Harper M
• Description:
  Recently, we have started to view the environment as a source of substances likely to be harmful to human health. A high-profile example of this 'natural pollution' is the contamination of groundwater by arsenic from natural sources in Bangladesh and India. Another, less well-known problem is asbestos that occurs naturally in rock. Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) is the name given to the silicate minerals serpentine and amphibole that, in certain environmental conditions, form exceedingly thin crystals in parallel alignment - with the appearance of cotton or silk. The term NOA can also be used to describe different minerals that crystallise in a finely fibrous manner resembling asbestos, and minerals that can produce elongated particles when broken or crushed. The most significant risk from NOA is serious illness that may occur through exposure through inhalation. NOA is an issue of study, debate and concern within the affected areas of the US today, and also for some countries around the Mediterranean, such as Italy and Turkey, where NOA is relatively common. However, the widespread occurrence of these minerals suggests that this matter will become an issue for many other countries in the future. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asbestos Dust Environmental Exposure Environmental Health Environmental Pollution Inorganic Chemicals Irritants Minerals Occupational Health Public Health Respiratory Hypersensitivity Respiratory System Safety

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• Keywords:
  Asbestos-dust Asbestos-fibers Asbestosis Environmental-contamination Environmental-exposure Environmental-factors Environmental-hazards Environmental-pollution Inhalation-studies Pollutants Pollution Public-health Respiratory-hypersensitivity Respiratory-irritants

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• ISSN:
  1478-6524
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  5
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20034939
• Citation:
  Chem Sci 2008 Dec; 5(12):C93
• Contact Point Address:
  Martin Harper, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Heath, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2009
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Chemical Science
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f003cd2f8b47c7a55b0e2b57fdea0464ea73345f07a79fa631da471813e7a3b421d970176be9e698ddfeed494372dcb54751066efb2597340b4934019c168ac8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/186954/cdc_186954_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 302.15 KB ]