[Chrysotile asbestos: biological effects, the work environment highest allowable concentration and neoplasm risk]

The authors present the most essential data on physical and chemical properties of chrysotile, sources of its emission, the extent of occupational exposure, and biological effect, used in setting MAC values for chrysotile-containing dusts. Exploitable asbestos deposits do not exist in Poland, but admixtures of asbestos minerals have been found in some deposits of mineral raw materials located in the area of Lower Silesia (melafir, gabbro, dolomite. ore, nickel, magnesite, serpentinite). In the 1970s, about 100,000 tonnes of asbestos, containing 90% of chrysotile, were used annually in Poland. This figure decreased to 30,000 tonnes in 1991. In 1985 the use of crocidolite asbestos was stopped, and in 1999, the use of asbestos-containing products was banned by the virtue of the legal act. At present, the Minister of Economy in agreement with the Minister of Environmental Protection sets regularly the list of asbestos-containing products permitted for the production or in the customs area. Nowadays, the range of dust concentrations in plants which use asbestos products amounts to 0.1-0.6 mg/m3 for total dust and 0.002-0.07 f/cm3 for respirable mineral fibres; and during exploitation of rock raw material deposits 0.7-280 mg/m3, and 0.01-3.3 f/cm3, respectively. During the years 1976-96, 1520 cases of asbestos-related occupational diseases were diagnosed. This figure included 1314 cases of asbestosis, 154 cases of lung cancer and 52 cases of pleura mesothelioma. MAC values for chrysotile and chrysotile-containing dusts are: 0.2 f/cm3 and 1 mg/m3.