Re: Evaluation of the size and type of free particulates collected from unused asbestos-containing brake components as related to potential for respirability

Our plain-English summary of Re: Evaluation of the size and type of free particulates collected from unused asbestos-containing brake components as related to potential for respirability, by D.J. Paustenbach, B.L. Finley, P.J. Sheehan, et al (American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2006).

The study

• Authors: D.J. Paustenbach, B.L. Finley, P.J. Sheehan, G.P. Brorby
• Journal: American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Published: 2006;49(1):60-1; author reply 62-4
• Type of article: Letter
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Background: In Atkinson et al. 2004 rinsates of unused brake components were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the presence of asbestos fibers.

Results: We do not believe that the findings of Atkinson et al. are informative and could have been predicted based on the study design and the fact that one would expect to find measurable TEM asbestos fibers on an unused brake component. We also find that the paper did not provide a full or even partial discussion of the published literature with respect to industrial hygiene or epidemiology data.

Conclusion: The findings of Atkinson et al. do not, in our view, "further raise concerns" about historical asbestos exposures experienced by automotive mechanics because of the vast amount of published literature to the contrary.

Am. J. Ind. Med. 49:60-61, 2006. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

In plain English

This is a letter to the editor, not a study, and it reported no new data. The authors wrote in response to a 2004 article by Atkinson and colleagues, which had used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to look for asbestos fibers in rinse water from unused brake components. The authors argued that comparing TEM with phase contrast microscopy (PCM) was irrelevant to whether mechanics are at increased risk of asbestos-related disease. They stated that more than 20 epidemiology studies of automotive repair workers had found no increased incidence of asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma. They criticized Atkinson and colleagues for not testing a control rinse, for guessing what PCM would have shown instead of using both methods, for not linking rinse fibers to airborne levels, and for citing a study by Butnor and colleagues selectively. The authors concluded that, in their view, the findings did not further raise concerns about historical exposures of automotive mechanics. The authors disclosed that their research was primarily funded by Ford, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors, and that some of them had been expert witnesses in brake-repair litigation.

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: letter to the editor responding to a published article; no new data
• Who was studied: No study population; the letter commented on Atkinson et al. 2004, which analyzed rinsates of unused brake components
• Exposure: Asbestos fibers on unused brake components (described by the letter's authors as at least 30% asbestos by weight), as measured by TEM in Atkinson et al.
• Main results:
  • The authors argued that the PCM versus TEM question was irrelevant to whether automotive mechanics are at increased risk of asbestos-related disease
  • The authors stated that more than 20 epidemiology studies of automotive repair workers published in the previous 30 years had not detected an increased incidence of asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma
  • The authors criticized Atkinson et al. for not analyzing a control rinsate that had not touched brake components
  • The authors argued that samples should have been analyzed by both PCM and TEM, noting that NIOSH comparisons in 1970s service garages often found PCM measurements higher than TEM measurements
  • The authors argued that Atkinson et al. made no connection between rinsate fibers and actual airborne asbestos concentrations
  • The authors stated that most long-term NIOSH air samples for brake mechanics from the 1970s and 1980s were below the current OSHA permissible exposure limit of 0.1 f/cc
  • The authors argued that Atkinson et al. cited Butnor et al. selectively, omitting Butnor et al.'s conclusion that friction product exposure is unlikely to contribute to malignant mesothelioma
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that, in their view, the findings of Atkinson et al. did not further raise concerns about historical asbestos exposures of automotive mechanics
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors disclosed that their research was primarily funded by Ford Motor Company, DaimlerChrysler Corporation and General Motors Corporation
  • The authors disclosed that some of them had been expert witnesses in litigation about health hazards to brake repair mechanics

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Auto mechanics and brake work, Chrysotile.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Industrial Hygiene, Epidemiology, Asbestos Exposure.

Related studies

• Evaluation of the size and type of free particulates collected from unused asbestos-containing brake components as related to potential for respirability — M.A. Atkinson, M. O'sullivan, et al. (2004)
• Reduction of the biological potential of chrysotile asbestos arising from conditions of service on brake pads — A.M. Langer (2003)
• Airborne asbestos concentration from brake changing does not exceed permissible exposure limit — C.L. Blake, D.R. Van Orden, et al. (2003)
• Exposure to chrysotile asbestos associated with unpacking and repacking boxes of automobile brake pads and shoes — A.K. Madl, L.L. Scott, et al. (2008)
• Evaluation of asbestos exposure during brake repair and replacement — H. Kakooei, M. Hormozy, et al. (2011)
• Evaluation of exposure to the airborne asbestos in an automobile brake and clutch manufacturing industry in Iran — H. Kakooei, H. Marioryad (2010)

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