MINERAL PROPERTIES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO PARTICLE TOXICITY

It has been recognized since at least as early as the mid-1500s that i nhaled minerals (i.e., inorganic particles) can pose a risk. Extensive research has focused on the biological mechanisms responsible for asb estos-and silica-induced diseases, but much less attention has been pa id to the mineralogical properties and geochemical mechanisms that mig ht influence a mineral's biological activity. Several important minera logical characteristics control a mineral's reactivity in geochemical reactions and are likely to determine its biological reactivity. in ad dition to the traditionally considered variables of particle size and shape, mineralogical characteristics such as dissolution behavior, ion exchange, sorptive properties, and the nature of the mineral surface (e.g., surface reactivity) play important roles in determining the tox icity and carcinogenicity of a particle. Ultimately, a mineral's speci es (which provides direct information on a mineral's structure and com position) is probably one of the most significant yet most neglected f actors that must be considered in studies oi toxicity and carcinogenic ity.