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ENEMINTfiSte BB CD CAP Net ecclh i OF 4, EVALUATION OF FIBER SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE VICINITY OF TWO VILLAGES IN TURKEY D. Pooley University College Cardiff Wales ^' As Dr. Wagner mentioned this Turkish disease situation is a very interesting one It is confined to two villages and upon moving a kilometers away from these villages the disease situation apparently disappears The samples which we have received from this area indicate that the rock is of volcanic origin a tuff Examinining samples we found that the only real significant difference in the rock types between the two villages with disease and the other villages without any disease was in the fiber content of the rocks Figure 1 is an electromicrograph of particles prepared by washing the dust off rock specimens The electromicrog - aph reveals large numbers of fibers that appear very similar to amphibole asbestos fibers A second electromicrograph Figure 2 shows typical amphibole fibers with quite a large number of extremely fine fibers present in the sample We have examined these materials and have found that these fibers are zeolite materials Table 1 contains the analyses of fibers from two of the specimens of rock TABLE 1. Average Chemical Analysis of Fibres found in Rock Specimens Turk 1 and 3 together with Reference Data Expressed as Oxide Weight Percentages Chabazite ~_- .. Erionite TiO2 MnO 0.1 0.2 _ Fe0 0.6 1.1 = A1 90.6 90.6 85.7 From Deer Howie and Zussman neglecting water content 88.54 This presentation was made in conjunction with Dr. Wagner's presention The Complexities in the 'Evaluation of Epidemiologic Data of Exposed Populations exposures exposures Dusts and Diseases : Occupational Occupational Occupational and environmental environmental exposures to selected fibrous fibrous and particulate dusts ; Leman & Dement . Pathotox Pathotox Publishers Inc 1977 1977 on Seat, 42 POOLEY ab leah gine AE ia ei etic sads aro Fs a a \ a. ae 4 a ~- hae a $n tf oe ae F, cece ne ee eee wee ew eee eteen e e e nc et d a oe is ER Oe aanOO eee ra ape orcad Ft Mant FIGURE 2. Electron micrograph of fibres detected in Turkish Specimen 2 word a cag ates: cans rw : oo! codes [ eno (6, oh a : pce aid a * oe oe Sa Cate oy ath "yppaa recs Ba SN mateo . Ct ne JNJTALC000587650 oleh : - po so 8 78 oD * eptog aes T8, 2000 O0D,om Coe 'ExtKor , 4 44 POOLEY so far examined together with chemical data for two zeolite minerals which most closely match the fibers observed As can be observed the closest match is with the mineral erionite These fibers are nearly 90 percent on a weight basis composed of aluminum and silicon oxides We have also sized these fibers We find that in terms of the size distribution there are a number of very small submicroscopic fibers present in these samples We find 75 of the fibers below 0.25 microns in diameter and we see that there are quite a large number of longish fibers present in the dust created from these rocks These samples are obviously very interesting as in this situation we have a van ES very high incidence of mesothelioma associated with a fiber exposure which is not Rete aT asbestos fiber Perhaps this is a very useful key in the story of the influence of fibers with respect to disease response Bate HS EE the Soe