Asbestos causes lung fibrosis known as asbestosis as well as cancers such as malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer. Asbestos is a mineral silicate containing iron, magnesium, and calcium with a core of SiO(2). The immunological effect of silica, SiO(2), involves the dysregulation of autoimmunity because of the complications of autoimmune diseases found in silicosis. Asbestos can therefore caus...

I became interested in asbestos in drinking water supplies in the spring of 1973 when Mr. Jack Murchio, our electron microscopist, pointed out that a number of San Francisco Bay Area reservoirs were situated on geologic formations that are known to contain asbestos, i.e., serpentine rock. Thus we set out to examine the raw drinking water associated with these reservoirs for the presence of asbe...

Asbestos is a commercial term that represents several different silicate minerals which separate into long thin fibers. Asbestos has been used in numerous commercial applications due to its outstanding incombustible and insulating characteristics but causes fatal diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma so strict regulations and controls for asbestos bearing rocks and...

Inadvertent inhalation of asbestos fibers and the subsequent development of incurable cancers is a leading cause of work-related deaths worldwide. Currently, there is no real-time in situ method for detecting airborne asbestos. We describe an optical method that seeks to address this deficiency. It is based on the use of laser light scattering patterns to determine the change in angular alignme...

A pleural mesothelioma arose in an employee of a wine farm whose work history shows an unusual occupational exposure to asbestos. The information, gathered directly from the case and from a work colleague, clarifies some aspects of the use of asbestos in the process of winemaking which has not been previously reported in such details. The man had worked as a winemaker from 1960 to 1988 in a far...

Lung carcinomas and pulmonary fibrosis (asbestosis) occur in asbestos workers. Understanding the pathogenesis of these diseases is complicated because of potential confounding factors, such as smoking, which is not a risk factor in mesothelioma. The modes of action (MOA) of various types of asbestos in the development of lung cancers, asbestosis, and mesotheliomas appear to be different. Moreov...

Air quality in demolition practices has seldom been evaluated in Iran. Accordingly, we evaluated asbestos exposure among Tehran construction workers during the demolition of old houses. To identify possible sources of asbestos exposure, including thermal insulations, chimney pipes and cement sheets, were all sampled. This study also were taken the personal air samples to evaluate any asbestos e...

Asbestos: Facts and Fiction I appreciate the opportunity to address the omissions, inaccuracies, and innuendos in the position paper by David P. Rall, "Media and Science: Harmless Dioxin, Benign CFCs, and Good Asbestos" (EHP 102:10). Unfortunately, Rail not only misinterprets the conclusions of our 1990 Science article by Mossman et al. (1) but he fails to mention the database, scientific panel...

Nitric oxide radical (.NO) and peroxynitrite anion (ONOO-) have been implicated in lung inflammation and may be important in pleural injury. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of asbestos exposure and cytokine stimulation on .NO and ONOO- production by rat pleural mesothelial cells. Accordingly, rat parietal pleural mesothelial cells were cultured for 2 to 72 h with or wi...