Mesothelioma in the Quebec chrysotile mining region

Conference · · Archives of Environmental Health; (USA)

OSTI ID:5760495

Case, B W ^[1]; Armstrong, B; McDonald, J C ^[2]; Sebastien, P ^[3]

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1. Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (USA) McGill Univ., Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
2. McGill Univ., Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
3. McGill Univ., Toronto, Ontario (Canada) Groupe Pneumopathies Professionnelles, Verneuil en Halatte (France)

Previous studies of incidence of mesothelioma and lung tissue burden in workers and nonworkers in the Quebec chrysotile mining region showed that mesothelioma incidence is very slightly increased in the mining area, and that tremolite, or even commercial amphiboles, are responsible (and chrysotile is not). Recently, one of us (BC) noted an increase in the numbers of cases of mesothelioma coming to autopsy in the mining region. There were 19 cases, all confirmed histologically, since 1982, vs. 6 that we know of in the previous 10 y. Eighteen were occupationally exposed; one was the wife of chrysotile miner/miller. We examined lung tissue from 9 cases matched to controls of the same sex and age, dying in the same years in the same hospitals, without evidence of malignant disease. We found an excess in cases of typical asbestos bodies; tremolite fibers; and total amphiboles. In univariate linear relative risk analysis, both longer (>8 {mu}m) and shorter fibers are significant. Multivariate analysis indicates that while adjustment of chrysotile lung content for tremolite content eliminates any statistical effect of chrysotile, the reverse comparison retains significance.

• OSTI ID: 5760495
• Report Number(s): CONF-890937--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Health; (USA) Journal Volume: 45:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550900 -- Pathology
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AMPHIBOLE
ANIMALS
ASBESTOS
CANADA
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISEASES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
MAMMALS
MAN
MINERALS
MINERS
MINING
NEOPLASMS
NORTH AMERICA
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
PERSONNEL
PRIMATES
QUEBEC
VERTEBRATES