US EPA

3109 

Journal Article 

Health effects of tremolite 

Weill, H; Abraham, JL; Balmes, JR; Case, B; Churg, AM; Hughes, J; Schenker, M; Sebastien, P 

1990 

Yes 

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
ISSN: 1073-449X
EISSN: 1535-4970 

BIOSIS/91/05366 

142 

6 PART 1 

1453-1458 

English 

Conclusions. 1. Unquestioned health effects of tremolite asbestos have been demonstrated in both humans and animals. These effects are identical to those produced by other forms of asbestos. 2. There may be important physicochemical distinctions between asbestiform and nonasbestiform tremolite dust particles. However, there appears to be considerable controversy in applying these mineralogic definitions to specific samples of mineral, particularly individual particles viewed microscopically after collection by air sampling or found in human lung or when used experimentally. 3. The evidence for biologic effect distinctions based on nuneralogic parameters, other than fiber dimension and fiber number, is currently inadequate. 4. At present, the prudent public health policy course is to regard appropriately sized tremolite "fibers," in sufficient exposure dose (concentration and duration), as capable of producing the recognized asbestos-related diseases, and they should be regulated accordingly. 5. Despite the recognition of the practical problems involved, there should be further research on the possible biologic implications of any widely accepted mineralogic distinctions and on whether the "regulatory fiber" definition - aspect ratio greater than 3:1, greater than 5 "mu"m in length - should be modified to better reflect biologic effect information.