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3101081 
Journal Article 
Occupational Exposure to Non-Asbestiform Talc in Vermont 
Boundy, MG; Gold, K; Martin KP Jr; Burgess, WA; Dement, JM 
1979 
Yes 
Cancer Letters
ISSN: 0304-3835
EISSN: 1872-7980 
NIOSH/00096321 
6 
5 
183-192 
Worker exposures to talc were studied among employees from three large Vermont talc companies, and bulk samples from representative milling and mining operations were collected and analyzed for mineral constituents. Sample analytical procedures included X-ray diffraction, petrographic microscopy, analytical transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Talc (14807966) and magnestite (546930) were the major components in all samples, and chlorite and dolomite (16389881) were minor constituents. Calcite, quartz (14808607), biotite, ankerite, chromite, oligoclase and phlogopite were identified in trace amounts. Quartz was present in trace amounts in 15 percent of the samples. No asbestos was detected in any of the samples. Respirable mass concentrations for the workers ranged from 0.5 to 5.1 milligram per cubic meter (mg/m3) for miners, and from 0.5 to 2.9 mg/m3 for millers. The authors recommend that scanning electron micrographs be considered as an adjunct to USPHS methods for counting fibers in a dusty environment.