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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles

Committee for the Review of the NIOSH Research Roadmap on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles

Alan R. Nelson, Catharyn T. Liverman, Elizabeth A. Eide, Eileen Abt, Editors

INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE AND NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was requested by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and supported by Award No. 211-2006-19152, T.O. #2, between the National Academy of Sciences and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The views presented in this publication are those of the editors and attributing authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

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Suggested citation: IOM (Institute of Medicine) and National Research Council. 2009. Review of the NIOSH roadmap for research on asbestos fibers and other elongate mineral particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine


The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.


The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.


The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.


The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.


www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

COMMITTEE FOR THE REVIEW OF THE NIOSH RESEARCH ROADMAP ON ASBESTOS FIBERS AND OTHER ELONGATE MINERAL PARTICLES

ALAN R. NELSON (Chair),

American College of Physicians, Fairfax, Virginia

SARKIS G. AMPIAN,

Ampian And Associates, Mount Airy, Maryland

JOHN R. BALMES,

University of California, San Francisco

PATRICK N. BREYSSE,

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

ROBERT D. GIBBONS,

University of Illinois at Chicago

TOM K. HEI,

Columbia University Medical Center, New York

KARIN O. HOAL,

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado

JOE L. MAUDERLY,

Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico

GREGORY P. MEEKER,

U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Colorado

ANDREA KIDD TAYLOR,

Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland

Consultant

ERNEST E. McCONNELL,

ToxPath, Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina

Study Staff

CATHY LIVERMAN, Study Director

EILEEN ABT, Senior Program Officer

ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Senior Program Officer

FRANKLIN BRANCH, Research Associate (until July 2009)

JUDY ESTEP, Program Associate

ANDREW M. POPE, Board Director,

Health Sciences Policy

GREGORY H. SYMMES, Deputy Director,

Division on Earth and Life Studies

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

Reviewers

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Caroline Baier-Anderson, Environmental Defense Fund

Brad Black, Center for Asbestos Related Disease

Peter Buseck, Arizona State University

David C. Christiani, Harvard School of Public Health

John Dement, Duke University

Mickey Gunter, University of Idaho

John G. Hadley, Owens Corning

Bob Hamilton, Parker, Colorado

S. Katharine Hammond, University of California, Berkeley

Thomas Mathew, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Roger O. McClellan, Toxicology and Human Health Risk Analysis

Brooke Mossman, University of Vermont

Gunter Oberdorster, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

Laura Welch, CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

Haining Yang, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Lonnie Bristow, Consultant, Walnut Creek, California, and John C. Bailar III, The University of Chicago, (emeritus). Appointed by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

Preface

The statement of task assigned to the committee for the study Review of the NIOSH Research Roadmap on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles1 asked five questions. In this report, the committee answers each question with a qualified “yes” and submits a series of recommendations that are intended to help the users of the Roadmap successfully reach their destination and address the scientific challenges and ambiguities that have beset this area of research in the past. The committee recognizes fully the technical complexity of the Roadmap and acknowledges the hard work of the staff of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in its development. The committee’s report particularly notes and commends the extensive background research that went into the section of the Roadmap entitled “Review of Current Issues.”

The committee was tasked specifically with assessing the January 2009 Roadmap document, which describes research to examine the physical and chemical characteristics of elongate mineral particles that may potentially impact human health. While recognizing the strengths of the Roadmap, the committee also identified a number of areas for improvement that are described in this report. Much discussion focused on the mineralogical terminology, nomenclature, and glossary advanced in the Roadmap. In particular, the committee carefully considered the use of the new term elongated mineral particles and concludes

1

The Roadmap was drafted in 2007 and entitled NIOSH Roadmap on Asbestos and Other Mineral Fibers; it was extensively revised in 2008 and early 2009 with the new title Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongated Mineral Particles: State of the Science and Roadmap for Research. It was this latter document (hereafter called the Roadmap) that the committee was tasked to review.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

that this is a nontechnical term that should be used only to describe a broad group of respirable mineral particles of certain aspect ratios. Additionally, the committee urges use of the adjective elongate rather than elongated in the purely descriptive use of this term. One of the recommendations asks NIOSH to ensure that mineralogical terminology and nomenclature in both the text and the glossary are supported by acknowledged mineralogical terminology sources. The committee makes a number of additional recommendations including a need for increased emphasis on relevant epidemiological research opportunities internationally and in the United States.

The committee, in its discussions, repeatedly referenced the need for the Roadmap to be one portion of a broader strategic plan for NIOSH, other organizations, and federal agencies—a plan that might include a statement of purpose, consideration of available resources, interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration, prioritization, time lines, and accountability. This observation is offered with the understanding that broader strategic planning may already be an ongoing activity within NIOSH and the other relevant agencies.

Finally, the committee acknowledges with gratitude the assistance of the National Academies staff in the preparation of this report, including the study director, Cathy Liverman; senior program officers, Eileen Abt and Elizabeth Eide; research associate, Franklin Branch; and program associate, Judy Estep.


Alan R. Nelson, Chair

Committee for the Review of the NIOSH Research Roadmap on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×
Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

Acronyms

AFM atomic force microscopy

AGI American Geological Institute

ATF activating transcription factor

ATSDR Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

CAS Chemical Abstracts Service

CNMNC Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature, and Classification (IMA)

COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

CT computed tomography

EBSD electron backscattered diffraction

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPMA electron probe microanalysis

EXAFS extended X-ray absorption fine structure

ICD International Classification of Diseases

ILO International Labour Organization

ILSI International Life Sciences Institute

IMA International Mineralogical Association

IOM Institute of Medicine

MSHA Mine Safety and Health Administration

NIEHS National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

NRC National Research Council

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×

OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration

PCM phase contrast microscopy

PEL permissible exposure limit

PET positron emission tomography

PLM polarized light microscopy

REL recommended exposure limit

SEM scanning electron microscopy

TEM transmission electron microscopy

USBM U.S. Bureau of Mines

XRD X-ray diffraction

XRF X-ray fluorescence

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×
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×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×
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Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2009. A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12697.
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Although asbestos is no longer mined in the United States, prior and ongoing exposures to asbestos continue to contribute to respiratory diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. To examine ongoing issues and concerns in this field, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) drafted a research roadmap, Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongated Mineral Particles: State of the Science and Roadmap for Research, that provides an overview of the state of the science and a plan for future research in areas including toxicology, mineralogy, epidemiology, and exposure assessment.

The focus of the proposed research is on clarifying the relationship between human health effects and the physical and chemical characteristics of a wide range of elongate mineral particles. In 2008, NIOSH asked the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council to form a committee to provide a review of the scientific and technical quality of the January 2009 draft NIOSH Roadmap document. The present volume provides the committee's assessment of the Roadmap and recommendations for strengthening its utility for NIOSH, other federal agencies, the private sector, and other stakeholders.

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