Skip to main content
PMC home page
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 1990 Aug;88:269–276. doi: 10.1289/ehp.9088269

Historical developments and perspectives in inorganic fiber toxicity in man.

I J Selikoff 1
PMCID: PMC1567992  PMID: 2272322

Abstract

The first patient known to have died from asbestosis (1900) began work in 1885, approximately 5 years after the industrial use of asbestos began in Britain. Mineral particles were found in his lungs. No special comment was made of their fibrous nature then nor when the first case was reported in 1924. The various neoplasms attributed to asbestos in the next decades posed an additional question: What influence did the fibrous shape of the particles have on carcinogenic potential? The cogency of the problem was amplified by the identification in humans of asbestos-like neoplasms with a fiber other than asbestos (erionite) and by the production of such neoplasms in experimental animals with a variety of man-made inorganic fibers, often used as substitutes for asbestos. The lessons learned about asbestos may help guide us in evaluating current fiber problems.

Full text

PDF
269

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baker E. L., Dagg T., Greene R. E. Respiratory illness in the construction trades. I. The significance of asbestos-associated pleural disease among sheet metal workers. J Occup Med. 1985 Jul;27(7):483–489. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bignon J., Jaurand M. C. Réaction du poumon profond à l'inhalation de fibres minérales. C R Seances Soc Biol Fil. 1980;174(4):479–487. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Churg A. Chrysotile, tremolite, and malignant mesothelioma in man. Chest. 1988 Mar;93(3):621–628. doi: 10.1378/chest.93.3.621. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DOLL R. Mortality from lung cancer in asbestos workers. Br J Ind Med. 1955 Apr;12(2):81–86. doi: 10.1136/oem.12.2.81. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Friedmann T. Progress toward human gene therapy. Science. 1989 Jun 16;244(4910):1275–1281. doi: 10.1126/science.2660259. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gross P., Cralley L. J., DeTreville R. T. "Asbestos" bodies: their nonspecificity. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 1967 Nov-Dec;28(6):541–542. doi: 10.1080/00028896709342681. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gylseth B., Churg A., Davis J. M., Johnson N., Morgan A., Mowe G., Rogers A., Roggli V. Analysis of asbestos fibers and asbestos bodies in tissue samples from human lung. An international interlaboratory trial. Scand J Work Environ Health. 1985 Apr;11(2):107–110. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.2246. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hammond E. C., Selikoff I. J., Seidman H. Asbestos exposure, cigarette smoking and death rates. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1979;330:473–490. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1979.tb18749.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Harington J. S. Fiber carcinogenesis: epidemiologic observations and the Stanton hypothesis. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1981 Nov;67(5):977–989. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jaurand M. C., Bastie-Sigeac I., Renier A., Bignon J. Comparative toxicities of different forms of asbestos on rat pleural mesothelial cells. Environ Health Perspect. 1983 Sep;51:153–158. doi: 10.1289/ehp.8351153. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. KOENIG J. [On asbestosis]. Arch Gewerbepathol Gewerbehyg. 1960;18:159–204. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kotin P., Paul W. Results of a lung cancer detection program in an asbestos industry. Recent Results Cancer Res. 1982;82:131–137. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-81768-7_12. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mancuso T. F. Mesothelioma among machinists in railroad and other industries. Am J Ind Med. 1983;4(4):501–513. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700040404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mancuso T. F. Relative risk of mesothelioma among railroad machinists exposed to chrysotile. Am J Ind Med. 1988;13(6):639–657. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700130604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. McDonald J. C. Tremolite, other amphiboles, and mesothelioma. Am J Ind Med. 1988;14(2):247–249. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700140223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Newhouse M. L., Thompson H. Mesothelioma of pleura and peritoneum following exposure to asbestos in the London area. Br J Ind Med. 1965 Oct;22(4):261–269. doi: 10.1136/oem.22.4.261. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Nicholson W. J., Perkel G., Selikoff I. J. Occupational exposure to asbestos: population at risk and projected mortality--1980-2030. Am J Ind Med. 1982;3(3):259–311. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700030305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Nicholson W. J., Perkel G., Selikoff I. J. Occupational exposure to asbestos: population at risk and projected mortality--1980-2030. Am J Ind Med. 1982;3(3):259–311. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700030305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Oliver L. C., Eisen E. A., Greene R. E., Sprince N. L. Asbestos-related disease in railroad workers. A cross-sectional study. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1985 Apr;131(4):499–504. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1985.131.4.499. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Oliver L. C., Eisen E. A., Greene R., Sprince N. L. Asbestos-related pleural plaques and lung function. Am J Ind Med. 1988;14(6):649–656. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700140604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Pooley F. D., Ranson D. L. Comparison of the results of asbestos fibre dust counts in lung tissue obtained by analytical electron microscopy and light microscopy. J Clin Pathol. 1986 Mar;39(3):313–317. doi: 10.1136/jcp.39.3.313. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Roboz J., Chahinian A. P., Holland J. F., Silides D., Szrajer L. Early diagnosis and monitoring of transplanted human malignant mesothelioma by serum hyaluronic acid. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1989 Jun 21;81(12):924–928. doi: 10.1093/jnci/81.12.924. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Rosenstock L., Hudson L. D. The pleural manifestations of asbestos exposure. Occup Med. 1987 Apr-Jun;2(2):383–407. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SELIKOFF I. J., CHURG J., HAMMOND E. C. ASBESTOS EXPOSURE AND NEOPLASIA. JAMA. 1964 Apr 6;188:22–26. doi: 10.1001/jama.1964.03060270028006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sebastien P., Janson X., Gaudichet A., Hirsch A., Bignon J. Asbestos retention in human respiratory tissues: comparative measurements in lung parenchyma and in parietal pleura. IARC Sci Publ. 1980;(30):237–246. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Selikoff I. J., Hammond E. C., Churg J. Asbestos exposure, smoking, and neoplasia. JAMA. 1968 Apr 8;204(2):106–112. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Selikoff I. J., Hammond E. C., Seidman H. Mortality experience of insulation workers in the United States and Canada, 1943--1976. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1979;330:91–116. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1979.tb18711.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Stanton M. F., Wrench C. Mechanisms of mesothelioma induction with asbestos and fibrous glass. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1972 Mar;48(3):797–821. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Tuomi T., Segerberg-Konttinen M., Tammilehto L., Tossavainen A., Vanhala E. Mineral fiber concentration in lung tissue of mesothelioma patients in Finland. Am J Ind Med. 1989;16(3):247–254. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700160303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Viallat J. R., Raybuad F., Passarel M., Boutin C. Pleural migration of chrysotile fibers after intratracheal injection in rats. Arch Environ Health. 1986 Sep-Oct;41(5):282–286. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1986.9936697. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. WAGNER J. C., SLEGGS C. A., MARCHAND P. Diffuse pleural mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in the North Western Cape Province. Br J Ind Med. 1960 Oct;17:260–271. doi: 10.1136/oem.17.4.260. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. WEISS A. Pleurakrebs bei Lungenasbestose, in vivo morphologisch gesichert. Medizinische. 1953 Jan 17;6(3):93–94. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. WYSS V. Presenza di aghi di amianto nelle urine di operai esposti al rischio asbestosico. Rass Med Ind Ig Lav. 1953 Jan-Feb;22(1):55–56. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Wagner J. C., Pooley F. D., Berry G., Seal R. M., Munday D. E., Morgan J., Clark N. J. A pathological and mineralogical study of asbestos-related deaths in the United Kingdom in 1977. Ann Occup Hyg. 1982;26(1-4):423–431. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Warnock M. L., Wolery G. Asbestos bodies or fibers and the diagnosis of asbestosis. Environ Res. 1987 Oct;44(1):29–44. doi: 10.1016/s0013-9351(87)80084-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

RESOURCES