Vermiculite, Respiratory Disease, and Asbestos Exposure in Libby, Montana: Update of a Cohort Mortality Study

Details

• Journal Article:
  Environmental Health Perspectives
• Personal Author:
  Sullivan, Patricia A.
• Description:
  Background. Vermiculite from the mine near Libby, Montana, is contaminated with tremolite asbestos and other amphibole fibers (winchite and richterite). Asbestos-contaminated Libby vermiculite was used in loose-fill attic insulation that remains in millions of homes in the U.S., Canada, and other countries. Objective. This report describes asbestos-related occupational respiratory disease mortality among workers who mined, milled, and processed the Libby vermiculite. Methods. This historical cohort mortality study uses life table analysis methods to compare the age-adjusted mortality experience through 2001 of 1,672 Libby workers to that of white men in the U.S. population. Results. Libby workers were significantly more likely to die from asbestosis (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] 165.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 103.9, 251.1), lung cancer (SMR 1.7; 95% CI 1.4, 2.1), cancer of the pleura (SMR 23.3; 95% CI 6.3, 59.5), and mesothelioma. Mortality from asbestosis and lung cancer increased with increasing duration and cumulative exposure to airborne tremolite asbestos and other amphibole fibers. Conclusions. The observed dose-related increases in asbestosis and lung cancer mortality highlight the need for better understanding and control of exposures that may occur when homeowners or construction workers (including plumbers, cable installers, electricians, telephone repair personnel, and insulators) disturb loose-fill attic insulation made with asbestoscontaminated vermiculite from Libby, Montana. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aluminum Silicates Asbestos Asbestosis Cohort Studies Environmental Exposure Humans Inorganic Chemicals Lung Lung Diseases Mesothelioma Mining Mortality Neoplasms Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Retrospective Studies Safety

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• Keywords:
  Asbestos-industry; Asbestos-mining; Asbestos-workers; Asbestosis; Respiratory-system-disorders; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Lung-disease; Environmental-exposure; Disease-incidence; Dose-response; Cancer; Cancer-rates; Mortality-data; Mortality-rates; Region-8; Author Keywords: Amphibole Fibers; Asbestos; Asbestosis; Asbestos-related Disease; Insulation; Lung Cancer; Mesothelioma; Richterite; Tremolite; Winchite
• Source:
  Environ Health Perspect 2007 Apr; 115(4):579-585
• ISSN:
  0091-6765
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Montana ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 8 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  7 pdf pages
• Volume:
  115
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20031410
• Contact Point Address:
  P.A. Sullivan, Sc.D., National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  PSullivan@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Asbestos (CAS RN 1332-21-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6c6778137818b39a2daffc034f89871654ba3086b7d2c7068a7dc0946bc0d298890497c5df9583bec8ae0084899752c19ef92ed9dd516f604b738dac784cd6a2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/3898/cdc_3898_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 529.77 KB ]