(1) Both in the rock samples and in dust fibrous antigorite, a mineral of strong cancerogenic properties, was found.
(2) The mineral assemblage includes antigorite or lizardite as well as chrysotile and tremolite.
(3) In an animal study, fibrogenic, carcinogenic and mutagenic activity of antigorite was similar to the biological aggressiveness of crocidolite.
(4) Intraperitoneal injections of zeolite-klinoptilolite and gamma-alumina led to development of peritoneal mesotheliomas, whereas antigorite and cement had no carcinogenic potential.
(5) Diffractometric and infrared absorption spectra tests identified this mineral as antigorite.
(6) In hamster tracheal epithelial (HTE) cells, fibers such as chrysotile asbestos, crocidolite asbestos, and Code 100 fiberglass caused increased release of 51Chromium in comparison to the particles antigorite, riebeckite and glass.
(7) In these studies, cloned diploid hamster tracheal epithelial cells were examined in a number of short term (3-24 h) and long term (greater than 24 h) biological assays for their responsiveness to crocidolite asbestos in comparison to other fibers (chrysotile asbestos, Code 100 fiberglass) and particulates (riebeckite, antigorite, glass beads).
(8) Stimulation of ODC was not observed when nonfibrous analogues (riebeckite, antigorite, and glass particles) were used.
(9) However, the process of lung fibrosis when affected by antigorite from Nasławice was slower than under effects of antigorite from Szklary, which may result from almost 10 times fewer numbers of fibrous particles in the dust obtained from antigorite from Nasławice.
(10) Asbestosis was frequently diagnosed in workers employed at mining and processing of nickel ore containing admixtures of fibrous antigorite.
(11) All soil samples contained antigorite--a mineral the structure of which is close to that of chrysotile asbestos add exhibiting high biological aggressiveness.
(12) Asbestos fibers (chrysotile, antigorite and tremolite) were found in three of the six areas.
(13) Nonfibrous mineral dusts antigorite, basalt, cement, zeolite-klinoptilolite and gamma-alumina were tested for carcinogenic activity in rat experiments.