Geology, asbestos, and health

Our plain-English summary of Geology, asbestos, and health, by M. Ross (Environmental Health Perspectives, 1974).

The study

• Author: M. Ross
• Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives
• Published: 1974;9:123-4
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text
• In J-M's library: Johns-Manville's company medical library held a copy (J-M no. 002364).

Abstract

A brief discussion of three types of geologic occurences of asbestos-like minerals is given. The problem of mining ore free of asbestos is considered.

In plain English

This was a short commentary by an author at the U.S. Geological Survey, not a health study. It reported no data on disease or exposure in people. The author described three types of rock deposits containing amphiboles and serpentine, some of which are classified as asbestos. For the Ruby Mountain iron formation in Montana, the author reported that the same type of "unmixed" amphibole had been found in certain Lake Superior water samples. This suggested that some amphibole in those waters may have come from similar rocks. The talc mining area of Gouverneur, New York was described as mineralogically complex, with talc ore containing anthophyllite, tremolite and serpentine. That talc was used industrially, not in cosmetics, foods or drugs. For Vermont's ultramafic talc deposits, the author noted that equivalent bodies in Quebec form some of the world's largest chrysotile deposits. The author concluded that mining ore free of asbestos minerals is not simple. The author raised the possibility that impure deposits might mistakenly be used for foods and drugs, and proposed that geologists document the mineralogy of mining localities, particularly of fine particles.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Commentary (a brief geological discussion, not a study of people or disease)
• Who was studied: No human population. Three types of mineral deposits: the Ruby Mountain iron formation in Montana, the talc mining area of Gouverneur, New York, and the ultramafic talc deposits of Vermont.
• Exposure: Asbestos-like minerals in rock: amphiboles (actinolite, cummingtonite, tremolite, anthophyllite) and serpentine, including chrysotile, a variety of serpentine. Most of the discussion concerns talc deposits.
• Main results:
  • For the Ruby Mountain, Montana amphiboles, the author reported finding the same type of "unmixed" amphibole in certain Lake Superior water samples. The author said this suggests at least some amphibole in these waters may have come from rocks similar to those of the Ruby Mountain area.
  • The Gouverneur, New York talc deposits were described as highly complex mineralogically. One layer, called scale, is a nearly pure talc containing about 1% tremolite. The massive talc ore contains talc, anthophyllite, tremolite and serpentine.
  • The Gouverneur talc ores were described as used for industrial purposes such as paint fillers and ceramic materials, and not for cosmetic products, foods or drugs.
  • For the Vermont ultramafic deposits, the author noted that equivalent ultramafic bodies in Quebec, Canada form some of the world's largest chrysotile deposits.
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that mining an ore free of asbestos minerals is not a simple task. The author raised a possible scenario in which impure deposits such as Gouverneur's might be mistakenly used in foods and drugs as pure deposits become scarcer. The author proposed that geologists document the mineralogy, particularly of fine particles, at asbestos and talc mining localities, and believed this would be more successful than testing individual products.

Related studies

• A review of scientific literature examining the mining history, geology, mineralogy, and amphibole asbestos health effects of the Rainy Creek igneous complex, Libby, Montana, USA — B.R. Bandli, M.E. Gunter (2006)
• Occurrence, behaviour, and human exposure pathways and health risks of toxic geogenic contaminants in serpentinitic ultramafic geological environments (SUGEs): A medical geology perspective — W. Gwenzi (2020)
• Sepiolite asbestos from Franklin, New Jersey: a case study in medical geology — M. Germine (1987)
• The art of perpetuating a public health hazard — M. Greenberg (2005)
• UICC standard reference samples of asbestos — V. Timbrell, J.C. Gibson, et al. (1968)
• A review of the federal government's health activities in response to asbestos-contaminated ore found in Libby, Montana — K. Horton, V. Kapil, et al. (2006)

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