Low exposure to asbestos-like mineral from Montana vermiculite may up lung di...(construction materials and gardening pro...)

The chest X-ray changes associated with the low cumulative fiber exposure are a public health concern, Lockey adds. The Libby vermiculite ore was widely distributed across the United States for residential and commercial use, which means it could impact not only the workers who processed it but also consumers who used it for home insulation.

Lockeys team conducted a 25-year review of available data on workers who used the Libby vermiculite as an inert carrier for lawn care products. About 84 percent of the original 513 workers were living and 280 workers were able to participate fully in the study.

Former workers were asked to get a current chest X-ray and complete an interview with researchers about their lung health and job history since the original study was conducted.

Chest X-rays were taken and reviewed independently by three radiologists to determine the extent of changes in the chest cavity.

Our findings indicate that exposure within an industrial process to Libby vermiculite ore is associated with pleural thickening at low lifetime cumulative fiber exposure levels, says Lockey. Weve discovered the high propensity of these asbestos-like fibers in Libby vermiculite to dramatically increase the prevalence of pleural changes 25 years after exposure ended.

This study serves as a reminder that there are naturally occurring asbestos-like mineral fibers in our environment that are not currently regulated, he adds. More attention should be given to this issue so we can properly regulate and control these substances to minimize human health exposure risks.

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