Is Short-Fibered Asbestos Dust a Biological Hazard?

Contrary to the determination that the finer the quartz dust, the greater its pathogenicity; the pathogenicity of the finest asbestos dust has been shown to be negligible. It has been the finding of research laboratories in Germany, England, South Africa, and the United States that short-fibered asbestos, dust, ie, less than 5μ In length, is incapable of causing fibrosis or cancer. This finding, in conjunction with the failure of different laboratories in the United Kingdom and in this country to discern abnormalities following prolonged asbestos feeding to rats, should lead to the abandonment of the present concept that maintains that mesotheliomas and gastrointestinal cancers arise from the ingestion of asbestos dust cleared from the lungs. These negative results should also allay the alarm that has been raised as a result of the finding of ultramicroscopic mineral fibers in certain beverages and drinking water.