OBJECTIVES To describe asbestos-related mortality among manufacturing workers who expanded and processed Libby vermiculite that contained amphibole fiber. METHODS Standardized mortality ratio was calculated for 465 white male workers 31 years after last Libby vermiculite exposure. RESULTS Two workers died from mesothelioma, resulting in a significantly increased standardized mortality ratio...

Fibers of the amphibole mineral series have been demonstrated in the dust from an open taconite ore mine. Though the total dust levels in some places are high, exposures to fibers are below one fiber/cc. The energy dispersive X-ray spectra of the amphibole fibers correspond to those of cummingtonite-grunerite, hornblende, or actinolite. The same type and size distribution of fibers were found d...

Typical ferruginous bodies considered as asbestos bodies (AB) were collected from the lungs of 19 asbestos-exposed and 25 non-exposed urban subjects. Of the 319 body cores analysed by energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), 315 were asbestos. The non-asbestos cores were talc and crystalline silica. 89.2% of the asbestos cores were commercial amphiboles (amosite/crocidolite), 7% were chrysotile an...

Since the 1970s, concerns have been raised about elevated rates of mesothelioma in the vicinity of the taconite mines in the Mesabi Iron Range. However, insufficient quantitative exposure data have hampered investigations of the relationship between cumulative exposures to elongate mineral particles (EMP) in taconite dust and adverse health effects. Specifically, no research on exposure to taco...

geothermobarometry equations are based on thermodynamic principles and appear in single or multi-variant functions. the number of variants for a specific composition or reaction usually is reduced into 2 involving temperature (t) and pressure (p). since most of planned equations have two passive or variant p and t, using these equations should be with special care. it is very effective to use g...