The chemical and physical properties of serpentine and amphibole asbestos are considered in the context of teir interaction with tissue of the tracheobronchial tree and lungs. In vitro studies in cultures of several types are evaluated and work with the erythrocyte hemolysis system is reviewed. Although fibers ofthe two major mineral types differ substantialy, it is likely they are modified by secretions and membranes of cells after inhalation to the respiratory tract. Investigations using virgin asbestos might not provide an accurate picture of events in vitro.Asbestos is not one, but a family of, hydrated silicate minerals having a fibrous crystalline structure. The types of asbestos differ mineralogically and, as might be expected, these chemical and physical differences are reflected in the mechanism of interaction of fibers with cells. In this paper, we consider comparatively the characteristics of serpentine and amphibole asbestos and attempt to relate these features to the pathogenetic effects on tissues of the respiratory tract.
Structural and Chemical PropertiesSerpentine asbestos derives its name from the pliable, curled, "serpentlike" property of the fiber (Fig. 1). Chrysotile, the only commercially important mineral of this type, comprises over 90% of the asbestos mined in the world today. The members of the amphibole asbestos group are more numerous, but have fewer commercial uses. The amphiboles (crocidolite, amosite, and anthophyllite) exhibit a coarse, fibrous structure (Fig. 2).The mineralogy of asbestos is complex and incompletely defined. The types vary in major ele-
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