Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 5, September 1997: Article by Guthrie

Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 5, September 1997

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Mineral Properties and Their Contributions to Particle Toxicity

George D. Guthrie Jr.

Geology and Geochemistry Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico

Abstract
It has been recognized since at least as early as the mid-1500s that inhaled minerals (i.e., inorganic particles) can pose a risk. Extensive research has focused on the biological mechanisms responsible for asbestos- and silica-induced diseases, but much less attention has been paid to the mineralogical properties and geochemical mechanisms that might influence a mineral's biological activity. Several important mineralogical characteristics control a mineral's reactivity in geochemical reactions and are likely to determine its biological reactivity. In addition to the traditionally considered variables of particle size and shape, mineralogical characteristics such as dissolution behavior, ion exchange, sorptive properties, and the nature of the mineral surface (e.g., surface reactivity) play important roles in determining the toxicity and carcinogenicity of a particle. Ultimately, a mineral's species (which provides direct information on a mineral's structure and composition) is probably one of the most significant yet most neglected factors that must be considered in studies of toxicity and carcinogenicity. -- Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 5):1003-1011 (1997)

Key words : particles, minerals, toxicity, carcinogenicity, mechanisms

This paper is based on a presentation at The Sixth International Meeting on the Toxicology of Natural and Man-Made Fibrous and Non-Fibrous Particles held 15-18 September 1996 in Lake Placid, New York. Manuscript received at EHP 26 March 1997; accepted 20 May 1997.

I thank Eugene Ilton for permission to use Figure 4; Art Langer for reminding me of Nagelschmidt's background as a clay mineralogist; and Bill Carey and two anonymous reviewers for critical reviews of the manuscript. This work was supported by the Department of Energy through contract W-7405-ENG-36 to Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Address correspondence to Dr. G. Guthrie, 1187 Rood Hall, Dept. of Geology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008. Telephone: (616) 387-5343. Fax: (616) 387-5513. E-mail: guthrie@wmich.edu

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Last Update: October 17, 1997