The Biologic Categorization of Inhaled Fiber Glass Dust

Abstract

Data obtained from animal models of fiber glass pneumoconiosis in which the fiber glass dust was inhaled indicate that fiber glass dust is nonfibrogenic and should be classified as a nuisance-type dust. Fiber glass dust, when inhaled even in high concentrations during much of the animal''s lifetime, does not stimulate the production of neoplastic tissue. Epidemiologic data and pathologic examination of the lungs of long-term fiber glass workers indicate that fiber glass dust evokes no recognizable anatomic or functional changes. The development of tumors in the chest and abdominal cavities of rats as a result of the implantation of mineral fibers of diverse composition, including glass, has no relevance to man. The implication derived from such experimental results in rats that inhaled glass fibers are potentially carcinogenic for man, is an inappropriate extrapolation of misinterpreted data.