The ingestion of asbestos fibers

Feeding of baboons with crocidolite showed small numbers of asbestos needles 0.5–1 μm in ashed tissue of the gut wall, which probably came from iron-containing macrophages. It is suggested that pleural plaques and hyaline nodules in the peritoneum represent a hypersensitivity reaction to ferritin protein coating on asbestos fibers. In South Africa only a few peritoneal mesotheliomas come from the asbestos areas, and the incidence of gastrointestinal carcinomas is no greater than normal. Intrapleural and intraperitoneal injection produces unrealistic situations. Calcium salts are deposited on asbestos cement pipes from hard water and organic material from soft water. It is difficult to envisage asbestos contamination of the water so reticulated.