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For decades it has been recognized that some mineral dusts such as silica and asbestos can cause disease in humans. It is generally agreed that not all forms of asbestos are equally toxic. Regulations have for the past two decades restricted commercial use of asbestos and have required its removal from public buildings. Deleterious forms of asbestos can occur at minor to trace (non-commercial) levels in many geologic environments. There is growing concern that, dusts containing trace asbestiform minerals that are liberated from these geologic materials by natural weathering or human activities may also pose a significant health hazard.
In spite of decades of research, many aspects of asbestos and fibrous minerals are poorly understood, including: the processes by which mineral fibers trigger cancer; whether non-asbestiform but needle-like minerals also cause cancer; the distribution and natural background level of asbestiform minerals in dusts from various geologic environments; how mineralogical and geochemical properties of asbestos minerals influence health effects, and; how recent earth science technologies can be applied to understand asbestos health issues.
Beyond asbestos, mineral dusts may contain potentially toxic heavy metals or pathogens. While some dust-related health problems are well-known (such as the dust-borne soil fungus that causes valley fever), many unresolved questions remain. For example, the potential health effects of metal-rich dusts liberated from geologic sources (such as dry lake beds or soils remaining after forest fires) are not well-characterized.
In collaboration with human health experts, this project will develop and apply a variety of earth science methods to interpret the geologic links between mineral dusts and human health problems. The projectçs scientific results will provide a sound earth science basis for more informed, effective regulatory policies and remediation strategies.
| Gregory Meeker | Box 25046 MS 973 Denver, CO 80225 |
(303) 236-1081 gmeeker@usgs.gov |
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| Roger Clark | Box 25046 MS 964 Denver, CO 80225 |
(303) 236-1332 rclark@usgs.gov |
| Todd Hinkley | Box 25046 MS 980 Denver, CO 80225 |
(303) 236-5850 thinkley@usgs.gov |
| Geoff Plumlee | Box 25046 MS 973 Denver, CO 80225 |
(303) 236-1204 gplumlee@usgs.gov |
Return to Project List || Return to Central Region Minerals Team Home Page
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U.S. Department of the Interior || U.S. Geological Survey