1009-1019 Norton.pm

This project was initiated in response to two regulatory developments: (1) an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) ruling to upgrade quartz from a Group 2A to a Group 1 human carcinogen (IARC 1997) and (2) an EPA requirement that communities monitor PM10 (EPA 1986) and a possible modification of EPA guidelines to include PM2.5 (EPA 1996). To determine whether inhalation of large amounts of quartz-rich dust in rural settings increases the risk of lung cancer, we developed a project to: (1) characterize the amount and mineralogical compositions of PM10 in Idaho, especially with respect to quartz content, (2) build an epidemiological database of respiratory diseases and occupations in Idaho, concentrating on lung cancer rates and farmers, and (3) determine if any relationships exist between PM10 amounts, compositions, and respiratory diseases. Most people associate silicosis with inhalation of quartz. Silicosis is a debilitating disease of the lung caused by inhalation of large amounts of quartz over a long period of time, as ABSTRACT